Patience
by colorguard28
Summary: When Gibbs and the team catch a murder case, they think it will be routine. But they are six years behind their killer and before long, they realize nothing is quite what it seems. Can the team stop the deaths in time? Or will they be next...
1. Prologue

_**AN: **A new story, and this one's an epic. It's also gen, and high on the creep factor — definitely not what I usually write. Updates won't be as regular as my other epics have been, but I do have this all worked out in my head so I can promise it won't die. And it's for an NFA challenge that deadlines on Halloween, so I can promise it will be done by then. But I'm bouncing among this and original fic (revisions on my novel and writing the next short-story collection) so lots of plot bunnies in play. _

_Disclaimer: Not mine, not making any money off of them. _

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

I always see him. Sometimes more than once. The almighty Leroy Jethro Gibbs himself, a crime-fighting machine. The most-decorated agent in NCIS history, leader of the team with the highest close rate of all the armed federal agencies. And the man who ended the peace in my life.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He and his team don't know it, but they're already eight steps behind me in this duel. I thought Gibbs was better than this. He doesn't even know he's behind. He doesn't know there's a game. Not that this is a game. No, this is a battle, one his side will lose. Eight casualties so far. Sacrifices on the altar of Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the crime-fighting god. This will be his last case. For all of them, their last case. But first, Leroy Jethro Gibbs must determine how much he will suffer along the way. And he will suffer. I've made sure of that.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Grab your gear." Gibbs rounded the corner of the bullpen, his words silencing whatever the team had been bickering about this morning. "Dead MP, Quantico."

"Shot?" DiNozzo was right behind him, as always, McGee and David following behind.

"Burned. Outbuilding went up in smoke, firefighters found the body in the rubble."

As they drove to the scene, Ziva poked her head through the window in the back of the truck. "Gibbs, how do you know it was an MP if the body was burned?"

"ID was at the scene, still readable."

"Boss, that doesn't make sense." McGee was doing something with his phone-thingy. "Those military IDs melt in that much heat. It should have just been a puddle of plastic if the entire building went up."

"McGeek's right, Boss. Trapped in a building on fire, that thing had to be an inferno. We'll have to wait for Ducky to ID her from DNA or dental records. I don't think even he can pull that magic finger trick like he did on Agent Macy."

"DiNozzo, don't assume. Wait until we investigate."

"Right, Boss."

Gibbs reached for his coffee and sucked down a third of the cup. He did not need comparisons to Mace. He remembered his screwups enough as it was without old cases bringing them up again.

But when they got to the scene and started assessing and bagging evidence, he couldn't help but think something about the scene seemed familiar.

* * *

><p>When they returned to the Navy Yard, McGee got busy tracking down Marine MP Christine Ianuskewicz. By the time Gibbs had stalked back from Autopsy, he had everything he could find on the gunnery sergeant up on the screen.<p>

"McGee."

"Nobody's seen Gunnery Sgt. Ianuskewicz since 1800 yesterday, Boss." McGee pulled up the Quantico gate footage. "She returned to base at 1802 after weekend liberty and was scheduled to report to duty at 2300 for watch at the east gate. The base fire station got the call about the fire at 2113. When Ianuskewicz didn't report to duty, her CO marked her as UA since she had never formally checked in after liberty." McGee looked over at Tony, who was standing in front of the plasma.

"Boss, the gunny was well-regarded by her CO, had no record of being late to duty, much less UA. She hit the eight-year mark last week and her CO said the promotions board was going to make her a first sergeant when they convened next month." Tony motioned to the screen and McGee pulled up Ianuskewicz's service records. "She hit every promotion at the earliest possible moment and her CO said the only reason she hadn't made first sergeant yet was she didn't have enough time in service. He said he wouldn't be surprised if she became the first female sergeant-major of the Marine Corps." He grinned. "And, as you can see, she's a very attractive red-head."

"Focus, DiNozzo."

"Focusing, Boss."

McGee pulled up a second set of records on the screen. "Boss, I tracked down the call about the fire to the base fire station, and it came from a lance corporal who was passing the area on the way back from the firing range to quarters." He sent the base map up to the plasma. "The story checks out as far as that goes — he would have gone right by the fire's location."

Gibbs turned to face Ziva, who was still seated behind her desk. "David, report."

"Gibbs, I have talked to several of the Marines in her unit and all of them had nothing but good things to say about her." Ziva shrugged. "She did not seem to have enemies. Could this have been an accident? Or could it be somebody else?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Duck says she's got a skull fracture behind the right ear. Blunt object. Mght have been a shovel. Too small for a baseball bat. He confirmed it was a woman, same height as the gunny. Abby's running DNA, and Palmer's tracking down her dental records."

McGee started searching base records. "Boss, the building had the grounds equipment for the base maintenance crew. Nothing classified or high-value in there."

McGee got up and walked around to lean a hip on his desk. "It was almost dark when the gunny got back to base, so the shed would have been empty more than likely." He pointed the remote at the plasma. "There's no security cam footage specifically on that area and none of the watch patterns pass all that closely to it."

"Contraband?" Tony reached for the remote and McGee tossed it to him. "If you were trying to smuggle something on or off base, you'd need a place to keep it. But come on, this is Quantico. Between the Marines and the FBI, it's not exactly a cakewalk. Stick the drugs or whatever among the lawnmowers and it's probably as safe as it's going to get."

Ziva walked over to join them. "So was the gunnery sergeant killed because she fell upon them destroying evidence, or was she killed and the shed burned to disguise her murder?"

"Stumbled upon them, Ziva." Tony rolled his eyes, and McGee managed not to do the same. "But it's a good question. Was she the target, or was she collateral damage?"

"Go find out." Gibbs looked at McGee. "Go help-"

"Abby in the lab with the evidence. On it, Boss." McGee snagged the remote back from Tony and put it on his desk, safe from superglue or other pranks. He hoped.

"DiNozzo, you-"

"Take Ziva and head back to Quantico to interview the fire crew and anybody who might have seen the gunny between 1800 and the time of the fire. On it."

* * *

><p>Hours later, McGee slumped in his chair in Abby's lab, the security camera footage blurring in front of his eyes. Hours of tape from all over the base and he still couldn't find a trace of Ianuskewicz after 2022.<p>

Even Abby was starting to fade, her steps between Major Mass Spec and her computers the pace of a normal person. She'd finished her last Caf-Pow an hour ago and their 17-hour day was beginning to take its toll. McGee hit the button to pause the footage and straightened up.

"Abs, I'm going to check with the others, then make a coffee run," he said, stifling a yawn. "I think we all need some caffeine at this point."

"No need, McSleepy." Tony walked in, his tie gone and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Our little ninja is off getting us coffee while Gibbs snarls at Ducky and Palmer to get a positive ID on our corpse. He sent me to check on the-"

"Tony, if I'd gotten the DNA match, you'd know." Abby crossed her arms and glared at him. "Gibbs would know. His gut hasn't sent him down here yet tonight."

"Yeah, well my gut's got a hinky feeling about this one," Tony said. "No enemies, no motive, no ID on the body, and a conveniently not-melted ID nearby. Ziva and I couldn't find any evidence of contraband in the shed. Somebody would have smelled pot, and we'd find evidence of guns or other military gear."

"What about hard drugs?" McGee fought back a yawn.

"If there was any kind of major drug ring, the MPs and NCIS agents would have noticed something, or the corpsmen in the base infirmary. Nothing. Gibbs even called Fornell to see if FBI had any information, and he struck out. Fornell said the agency's been using Quantico to train their agents for a new drug-smuggling task force and the Corps OK'd the entire base for use. He said if there was any kind of drug ring operating, they would have picked up on it." Tony made a face. "We'd better find something soon, because you know how Gibbs gets when we don't crack a case."

McGee groaned. "Abby, I call dibs on Bert for a pillow tonight."

* * *

><p>Agent David does not like it when a case is not going well. She mutters under her breath, words I can't understand. She doesn't pace, though. Her energy coils inside, like a snake, waiting to strike. When they still have not solved this case, the next time the great Gibbs allows them home she will retreat to her home gym, spend an hour, maybe more, practicing martial arts. When she is frustrated, she chooses kickboxing, pummeling the bag she keeps in her apartment. She is a fine one, but not yet a match for my brains. On nights when she is not worrying over a case, she practices Krav Maga. The first few times I watched her, I didn't know what it was. I learned, though. I always learn. She hadn't been on my radar before she joined the team, though I knew who her brother was. I even crossed paths with him once, as we both studied the team. I almost targeted him to keep him from ruining my plan, but the time wasn't right. He was a distraction, one I couldn't afford. Not after all my preparation.<p>

Still, her addition delayed my plan. I had everything I needed for Agent Todd. It was another delay. I had known from the beginning that Agent Blackadder wouldn't last. Agent Todd, though, she had been a keeper. I knew that from the beginning, knew she would still be on the team when it came time for me to act. I finally had everything I needed when the mighty Leroy Jethro Gibbs went and added Agent McGee to the team.

He was a different kind of challenge. I was forced to learn some new skills to prepare for him, go places I hadn't gone before. Agent McGee added more time, and time was running short. I finally was ready, and the timing was exceptional. And then Ari Haswari struck. I couldn't make my move then. Before I could, Officer David was a member of the team. I had missed my moment, the one I had spent 10 years preparing for. That was not in the plan. I recalibrated. This updated plan, in some ways it is better. The infallible Leroy Jethro Gibbs will have to suffer more because I am denied my rightful victory. And with this new plan in place, I waited and I watched. I prepared, meticulous about every detail. And then I struck my first blow.


	3. Chapter 2

_**AN: **Glad everybody's as creeped out by this person as I am. It gets creepier. Also, I saw some names I didn't recognize among reviewers - I'm excited to see this story is reaching people who don't normally read my stories! _

_**WARNING:** Stalking_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

_Two weeks later_

Ziva carried the tray of coffee and her own tea like a peace offering, although she knew it would not make a difference to Gibbs. Since she had joined the team, they had closed almost all of their cases. This was the first time she had truly seen what Gibbs was like when they could not solve a crime, and she had heard Tony muttering about Moby Dick a few times. She had checked the book out of the library last week to read, but they had been so busy, she had not yet had time to open it.

Vance had already given them some smaller cases to work, and she knew they would not be able to avoid the larger ones for longer, would not be able to give Gunnery Sgt. Ianuskewicz their full attention for much longer. Gibbs would be a lion, no, a bear today. She had asked the barista at the coffee shop by the Yard to add three extra shots to Gibbs' black coffee for just that reason.

"Rough case?" The barista had looked over as he prepared the espresso by memory. "At the rate Abby's going through our Caf-Pow supply, we're going to have to double the weekly order."

"Some days, they all are rough." Ziva took the tray of drinks as he finished pouring the shots into the large black coffee. "I expect you will see one of us back before too long today."

But the elevator doors opened on the squad room floor, the men were there waiting for her.

"We have a case?" She stepped back and allowed them to pile in around her.

"Dead naval lieutenant at the Pentagon. A cryptographer." Gibbs stood next to her and took the coffee from the tray. Ziva passed it up to Tony and McGee and let them bicker over the latte and the hazelnut cafe au lait.

"His CO called him in because he was UA, and the guy he shares a head with on Anacostia housing found him dead in bed." Tony ran his tongue around his lips to remove the foam.

"Suicide? Heart problems?" Ziva sipped her tea.

McGee shook his head and consulted his phone. "He was only 23 and ran on MIT's track and cross country teams. Heart problems are unlikely." He winced from the headslap. "Right, Boss. That's for Ducky to say."

**~NCIS~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~**

As Tony snapped photos of the crime scene, he studied the dead lieutenant's quarters. Once he was done, he stepped aside for Ducky and Palmer.

"TOD, Duck?" Gibbs didn't even look up from where he was dusting the nightstand for prints.

"About midnight, but I rather suspect this was slow." The medical examiner looked inside the corpse's mouth. "I'll have Abby run a tox screen, but I suspect our young lieutenant died from an overdose of barbituates."

"Suicide?" Tony lowered the camera. "Shouldn't we have found a note?"

"That is more common," Ducky said. "But this method is more often employed by women, so our young lieutenant already was taking a path that is not typical."

"Maybe the idea of shooting himself made him queasy." Tony looked over at McGee, who was tapping away at the lieutenant's laptop. "Are all MIT grads as green as you, McQueasy?"

But McGee was in his zone and didn't even respond. Tony left him be and documented Ducky's investigation of the body. He was just wrapping up when Ziva walked back in the room.

"Lieutenant Killian was a quiet man who kept to himself, very focused on his work," she reported. "Even among the others in his unit who lived on base, he was considered to be a genius and was working on some special classified project."

Gibbs sat back on his heels and looked around the room. "DiNozzo, McGee, take the car, go to the Pentagon. Talk to his CO, find out what's going on."

Tony nodded. "You mean McGee translates and I watch for anybody who looks jumpy, right boss?"

Gibbs just raised an eyebrow, then jerked his head toward McGee.

Tony called the younger agent, then called him again.

"McGee." Gibbs snapped.

"On it, Boss." McGee straightened up, and Tony couldn't help snickering, even though he knew he'd get a headslap later for that.

"Come on, McBabble. We're headed to the Pentagon so you can tell me what the hell this guy was working on." Tony handed the camera to Ziva and headed out, McGee on his heels.

**~NCIS~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~**

McGee pushed aside flashbacks to his first visit to the crypto unit all afternoon as he concentrated on hacking into the Pentagon's files and ensuring nothing had been compromised. Ducky came to the squad room himself to deliver the suicide verdict, and he stopped to listen as the ME tried to convince Gibbs.

"Jethro, are you questioning my judgment?" Ducky was too short to loom over even Ziva, much less Gibbs, but he gave that impression. "The glass bottle on his desk contained traces of the same barbituates in his system, a quantity large enough to fell a water buffalo. Anthony determined that the brand of juice drink has a tamper-evident cap, as all pre-bottled beverages do in this country, and the lid in the trash can showed no puncture marks that would indicate somebody had altered it. Unless Timothy has turned up evidence that our young lieutenant was sharing classified data or was being pressured to do so, I have no grounds for ruling it anything but a suicide."

"Fingerprints on the bottle?"

Ziva spoke up. "Gibbs, Abby said there were several sets, none on record. She said they most likely are from people who had handled it at whatever store he purchased it."

Gibbs hurled his coffee cup into the trash can. "Chatter?"

Ziva shook her head. "My sources have not heard any increase in discussion that might indicate the lieutenant was engaged in disclosing secrets."

"McGee?"

"Nothing, Boss. His files are squeaky clean, and so are the rest of the the unit's."

Gibbs glared. "Pack it in. Report by zero-seven tomorrow."

McGee didn't wait for him to change his mind, just grabbed his gear and headed out. But once in his car, windows rolled down, he hesitated. He didn't really want to go home, for some reason he couldn't quite name. This wasn't a night to freewrite on his typewriter. He needed the notepad and pen approach he used when a plot problem was bothering him. Usually that meant the coffee shop, but it was Thursday and his usual spot always had live music and entirely too many people.

He felt a prickle on the back of his neck, but managed not to squirm. Instead, he looked sideways, careful not to move his head. Then the other side. Nothing. He pretended to be reaching into the back seat and used that as an excuse to survey the lot. Behind him, Tony put his car in gear and pulled out, waving as he drove by. McGee waved back, and then dropped his head back against the headrest. This case was making him jumpy. He hesitated, then grabbed his notebook and got out of his car. He'd just head to the coffee shop on base, do his writing there. They were open pretty much all night because the Navy Yard was a 24-hour operation, but it was usually dead in the evenings.

Still, as he walked over, he couldn't shake the unease skittering along his spine.

**~NCIS~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~**

Gibbs stood at the window in the squad room late that evening. Nothing. His team had nothing. Ducky hadn't been able to find any evidence that it wasn't suicide, even though Gibbs' gut was churning. Killian's project at the Pentagon hadn't been compromised, and Tony swore that nobody at the Pentagon was giving off any whiff of being involved in this. At 1900, he'd finally let the team go, unable to justify keeping them late for an apparent suicide. Not after all the long days they had pulled on the Ianuskewicz case. But it still didn't sit right. This was one of those cases he'd think about at night while he worked in the basement, his mind turning it over as he sanded away. But not tonight. Tonight, he was going to stay here, see if he could figure out what he was missing.

**~NCIS~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~ NCIS ~**

Agent McGee doesn't normally enter his fictional world until he is well away from the Navy Yard. He has a coffee shop in his neighborhood, not the one his stalker used. His other stalker. The one who wasn't serious. The man was an amateur, really. If I had chosen his method, I wouldn't have killed the small characters in the book. I would have gone after Agent Tommy and Officer Lisa, Amy and Pimmy Jalmer. Agent McGregor and the great LJ Tibbs himself. But Agent McGee and his team didn't yet know of my existence then. Already, they were two steps behind. I really didn't think it would take them this long. It's a disappointment in some ways. Nine so far, and none of them even know I exist. Perhaps I overestimated them. I was too subtle. No matter. My next move will catch the attention of at least one of them. And the one after that, I have something special planned. It will take some time to prepare, though. Each move in this match raises the stakes. And when the impervious Leroy Jethro Gibbs realizes how far he let this go, even he will crack. That's when I can unveil the full extent of my plan. Before this is done, he will be broken beyond repair. And I will be a legend.


	4. Chapter 3

_AN: If you don't know who the title of 09.03 "The Penelope Papers" refers to, there's a minor spoiler in here, but it's of the "blink and you'll miss it" variety. Also, small spoiler for Inside Man. Also of the "blink and you'll miss it" variety. Also, thanks to Lidil for suggesting Bach's Tocata and Fugue in D Minor as theme music for this story. Enemies: Foreign and Domestic on the NCIS Score album also works for parts of this, as does Vance's Dossier. In case you like a soundtrack to your stories... _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Tony waved at McGee, and kept driving. He glanced in his rearview mirror while he was waiting to pull out of the lot, and saw McGee get out of his car, pack over one shoulder, and head down the street, away from NCIS.

Frowning, he turned onto the road and headed off the Yard. McGee had been quiet ever since they had finished at the Pentagon, and not his "I'm in the McGeeking Zone" quiet he usually ended up in.

But he hadn't said what was bothering him. It couldn't be the case. Gibbs was looking for a reason to keep investigating; if McGee had something, he would have said it. They all would. He didn't have Gibbs' gut, but this case wasn't sitting any better with Tony. All the evidence pointed to suicide, but they didn't have a reason.

Tony navigated the streets of DC back to his apartment, made his way upstairs without paying attention to what he was doing. He put in a call to his favorite Thai place — Ducky gave him slightly less grief about his eating habits when he chose Thai over Chinese — and stowed his gear by the door.

After he changed into jeans and a sweatshirt, Tony hit No. 3 on his speed dial.

"Queen of the Damned, how can I scare you today?"

Tony snorted. "Cute, Abbs. Hey, you talk to McGee this afternoon?" He sank into his favorite chair.

"Not after you guys got back from the Pentagon, why?"

"He didn't leave the Navy Yard." Tony ran a hand through his hair. "He started to, then got out and walked, but not toward NCIS."

"Let me trace his cell." A slurp punctuated her statement.

"Abbs, you still in your lab?"

"Yeah." Abby sighed. "I'm trying some new software I hack- um, got from the FBI today on the head wound of our dead gunny, trying to see if I can narrow down our murder weapon."

"Don't go all Captain Ahab on me," Tony said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Make sure you get home tonight — and drag Gibbs with you."

The husky laugh on the other end of the phone sounded illicit. "Really, Tony. You're telling me to seduce Bossman?"

"Abbs."

"Just pulling your chain. OK, McGee's still on the Yard. Looks like he might be over at the coffee shop."

Tony looked at his watch. "Abby, I left the Yard almost an hour ago. It doesn't take that long to drink coffee."

"Don't worry, Tony. He's probably just going all Gemcity on us. The coffee shop he usually writes at has live music some nights. That's why he writes at home on the weekends. Maybe he got some plot idea today and wanted to get it down before he got home."

Tony sighed. "I don't know, Abbs. He was a little off all afternoon. Ever since we left the cryptography unit."

"Oh!" Abby's voice jerked him into sitting straight up.

"Abbs?"

"The crypto unit. Remember that one case there, back right after Ziva joined the team? The lieutenant who supposedly shot herself, except she really didn't. Her CO was trying to make her take the rap for his treason."

Tony tried to recall details of the case. "You traced the guy's shoeprints in the blowblack from the blast on the rug."

"Yeah, but that's not the important thing. Our guy didn't shoot himself." Abby's voice started going faster, and Tony braced himself. "But McGee and I went out for drinks after that case wrapped and something was bothering him. It wasn't just his cat allergy, either. Gibbs took him to the Pentagon to translate, and when Gibbs and the CO were talking, the CO explained that the crypto unit officers weren't typical Navy. He told Gibbs there was a fine line, and Gibbs finished the sentence for McGee: a fine line between genius and insanity."

Tony dropped his head back on the chair. "And these are the McGeeks of the Navy. Gibbs wanted McGee to go to Pentagon with me to translate, and this guy even graduated from MIT."

He couldn't see Abby, but he was pretty sure she was nodding as she said, "If we made that connection, you know he did. That one case, it really bothered him that the CO figured he could pin it on one of the cryptoanalysts because the guy figured they were so nuts nobody would question a suicide. But he also admitted he was glad she hadn't killed herself."

"And right now, as far as we know, this guy did. The MIT graduate." Tony cursed. "So instead of going out drinking like the rest of us do, he's caffeinating?"

"Timmy's probably writing, getting it down on paper." Abby hesitated. "Look, I'm going to be here for a while running this analysis. If he's still there in a half-hour, I'll go get a Caf-Pow and check on him. Besides, if Bossman's still here, he'll need a refill by then. McGee can't argue with that."

Tony wanted to say more, but his doorbell rang. "Abbs, that's my dinner. Anything changes, you call me. And head-smack McWorry for me." He hung up and answered the door.

Once he was settled on the couch, dinner in hand, he thought back over the day, over the case. Much as he hated to admit it, Abby would have more luck with either Gibbs or McGee than he would. But just in case, he was sticking to Coke tonight.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

McGee shifted in the easy chair in the corner of the coffee shop. Usually he picked a chair with a table, but they were all by the windows and he still had the feeling somebody was watching him. This was a better location, his back to the wall. The brown fake-leather chair had wide arms, so he could balance a notebook on the left one and anchor it with his arm as he wrote. He'd have to scrub off the ink that smeared on the side of his hand, but that wasn't exactly unusual.

Today's case bothered him, and he hadn't been able to put his finger on why. Taking a deep breath, he tried to relax shoulders that had been hunched over the computer all day. Penny kept threatening to pull his shoulders back when he'd go over there to play with Jethro. His grandmother was one of the least scary people in the world, but he knew she'd do it. Once she got an idea in her head, she followed through.

McGee forced himself to put aside the day's case. He needed a different puzzle. Before he could decide, the shout from the counter caught his attention.

"Agent McGee, your decaf latte's ready." The barista slipped the sleeve on the drink and slid it across the counter as McGee headed up to get it.

"Thanks." McGee sipped, enjoying the warm foam at the top.

"Sorry it took so long, McGee. Didn't meant to keep you waiting." The barista wiped down the nozzle of the machine. "I forgot you wanted decaf this time."

McGee smiled. "Not on duty tonight, Aaron. Just didn't feel like dealing with traffic after today."

The barista rinsed out the rag. "I think Agent Gibbs was in here at least six times, and that's just after my shift started at noon."

"Yeah." McGee nodded. "Some days, you know?"

"Oh, I know. Once you guys hit your fourth trip of the day, we start slipping an extra shot into Gibbs' coffee." The barista smiled.

McGee headed back to his seat, still conscious of eyes watching. He sat down. Instead of writing something for his next book, he started making notes about the people in the coffee shop. An admiral at the counter by the door, his cover crisp and tidy on the counter as he sat ramrod straight in his chair. The tables near the trash can had a few of the intel analysts for the agency, though none he had worked with. McGee smirked at the idea of Nikki Jardine in a public coffee shop. It's a good thing she wasn't a field agent, as paranoid about germs as she was. He couldn't picture her at a crime scene.

He made a few notes and decided to look up the analysts tomorrow. At least Agent Grady wasn't sitting with them. Of course, then he'd know who was watching him.

He saw two men at the table across from him, federal badges around their necks. Those must be DOT employees — Navy and NCIS didn't wear those around the Yard. They seemed intent on their conversation, and he discounted them, though he made more notes so he could run a search the next day.

"Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you." The phrase from one of his college psychology professors ran through his head and McGee forced himself to focus on the adventures of Agent McGregor and LJ Tibbs. He'd head home in a little while.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Vance sat at his desk, the small circle of light from the desk lamp shining on the file he'd taken from Gibbs' desk the day before. He didn't like moving a case to the backburner, and he was fortunate. Since he'd taken over the director's chair, that had happened very few times, and almost none with the MCRT. Less than a dozen all told. As much as Gibbs infuriated him even on a good day, the man had skills. Spots on his team were coveted, and everybody on the Yard knew that Gibbs didn't take less than the best. They also knew if DiNozzo or McGee ever wanted their own team, they had among the best records in the entire agency. It made for healthy competition, the kind Vance encouraged.

With a close rate that gave SecNav something to brag about on the Hill, Vance had more leeway when it came to budgets and new programs. He'd almost restored the credibility Jenny Shepard had lost with her misguided Frog fiasco. And NCIS was respected within the Navy and the Corps, if not always liked. Some of the Agents Afloat still ran into issues with captains who saw them as Internal Affairs, but that number was steadily decreasing as Vance was better able to match agents to ships and commanders. His number of late nights at the office had decreased in the past year as the agency spun along in good working order. And yet, he was still here at 2100.

This case, it bothered him almost as it bothered Gibbs. No clues, no motive, no solution. And a gunnery sergeant dead, with no resolution for her family. A good one too, one of the best in the Corps from what the team had uncovered. That wasn't acceptable. But he couldn't afford to keep his best team on it either, not with so many other cases demanding attention.

Still, he wanted answers.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

The great Leroy Jethro Gibbs doesn't realize. He has been right there for Number 8 and Number 9 and still he doesn't know I exist. He will. I have made sure of it. The cocksure Leroy Jethro Gibbs is beginning to think something isn't right. But he has no idea just how wrong he has allowed this to go. I chose my moments carefully. Leroy Jethro Gibbs could not get on the trail too soon, or my masterwork would not have the effect I intend. He is arrogant, certain that he can do anything. For him to discover that he and his team are so far behind me, that will be my first blow to his ego and his reputation. Number 10, this one is among the most challenging of all my planned kills. I had to lay the groundwork for this one as soon as I realized the need for this target. The method took a little longer — but it is less dangerous to me than my original plan, and even more effective. It may unsettle them. It should make at least one person pause and think. And then I will hit them with my next two kills. The first, Number 11, will reveal the extent of my reach. And the second, that will show them none of them are safe. Not even Leroy Jethro Gibbs.


	5. Chapter 4

_**AN:** Slight spoiler for S7's Endgame. Again, of the "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" variety_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Gibbs stood at the window overlooking the Potomac as the first strains of light peeked above the horizon. He tapped his empty cup against his hand, then headed for the elevator, intent on getting a fresh supply.

He lifted a single eyebrow when the doors opened to reveal Tony inside, his jeans and sweater on the more casual end of his work clothes.

"Hey, Boss." He handed Gibbs a cup, steam curling from the small opening in the lid. "I had them put in an extra shot."

Gibbs sipped the brew, the caffeine kickstarting his tired brain. He pivoted and headed for his desk.

Tony followed behind, then started to sit. "So, listen, Boss. I was thinking about the case and-"

"Which one?" Gibbs smacked the cup on his desk as he dropped into his chair. "The one we still haven't solved? Or the one Ducky says isn't a case?"

Tony's hands were on his desk, but he reversed direction and stood.

"Lt. Andrews. We can't find any evidence that it was a murder, but we also haven't been able to find anything to indicate suicide."

Gibbs stared.

"So I was thinking, Ducky says the pills were in his drink, and Abby can't find evidence it was tampered with before he got it. But what if it was some nutjob who slipped the drugs in at the bottling plant. Like the Tylenol killer."

Gibbs gave a half-nod.

Tony sent a photo to the plasma. "When I was shooting the entrance to Andrews' quarters, I got a picture of the hall recycling bin in the bottom of the photo, and there's got to be a dozen of those same green tea blackberry juice bottles in the glass bin. We didn't test those because they weren't at the scene, but what if this was some crazy who slipped drugs in the drink before it was bottled? If he drank this crap like Abby drinks Caf-Pow, it could have reached the lethal dose that way."

"Hearing a lot of 'coulds' and not much evidence."

"On it, Boss." Tony left the photo on the plasma and sat down, tapping away on his keyboard.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

As Ziva and McGeek walked in, both early, Tony briefed them on his theory and they started helping. McGee had some sort of search running to look for any reports in the country that linked the drink with illness or tampering, while Ziva and Gibbs had headed for Little Creek to see if they could learn more about where and when Andrews bought the bottles.

Tony had already made three trips down to see Abby and Ducky looking for evidence and both had thrown him out. When he got back to the bullpen, McGee stood up.

"Come on, Tony. Abs says you need coffee and I have to take you myself. Something about turning into Gibbs and one Captain Ahab being enough." The McEyebrow asked the unstated question.

"Yeah, yeah. And let me guess, she wants a Caf-Pow."

"Does Abby ever not want a Caf-Pow?" McGee headed for the elevator. "What's gotten into you?" The elevator was full, so Tony didn't reply. Maybe McGee would drop it.

But no, as soon as they were outside, headed for the coffee shop, McStubborn started back up.

"I mean, you're Gibbs-obsessed, without the growling, and this is a pretty out-there theory. Ducky's sure it's a suicide." McGee looked over. "Are you saying Ducky's wrong?"

"Ducky's not finding any reason to call it murder. That's not the same thing as being sure it's a suicide. I know you're you young to remember the Tylenol killer," Tony looked sideways. "I don't like people getting away with murder, nutjobs or not."

They joined the line of people getting lunch at the coffee shop and kept talking.

"While you were driving Abby insane, I called a couple of people I know at MIT," McGee said as they shuffled forward in line. "They both agreed that Andrews was a genius, even by MIT standards, but he was also really well-adjusted. He handled the pressure of the standards there well, was one of the leaders in the NRTOC battalion."

"So not somebody likely to commit suicide." Tony sighed.

"Unless there was something in his life, but we haven't found anything." McGee paused. "But we're not finding any evidence for your Juice Killer theory either."

Tony ordered first, and waved off McGee's attempt to pay. "I'm the one being the second-b-is-for-bastard today, I'll buy."

McGee snickered. "Are you saying Gibbs should be buying us coffee most of the time?"

Tony sputtered, and even the coffee shop staff laughed at the idea.

McGee tugged his arm and moved them over to the pick-up counter. "Come on, let's get our coffee and get back. Before Gibbs and Ziva get back and we have to explain why we didn't bring him coffee."

Tony mock-shuddered and the barista snickered as he handed over their drinks. "Glad my shift's almost over."

"Yeah, yeah, Chris. Like you wouldn't want to watch me slink back in here to get the Boss' coffee." Tony rolled his eyes as he added sugar and cream to his cup. "Let's go, McGee."

They were almost back at the NCIS building when Tony slowed, something pinging in his gut. He glanced to one side, then the other.

"It's not just me." McGee kept walking, forcing Tony to follow him.

"You?"

"Last night, I felt like somebody was watching me." McGee kept his voice low as they walked inside. "In the parking lot, and at the coffee shop."

"Agent Grady-" Tony wiggled his eyebrows.

"She wasn't there. I checked."

"That's... weird." Tony rolled his shoulders. "Look, we've got to get back to work before the wrath of Gibbs returns, but first chance I get, I want a sitrep on this. Last time you had a stalker, she pulled a gun on you, and the one before that pulled a gun on Abby."

"Yeah, Tony. Don't remind me."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs stared at the the two casefiles that next afternoon, the open one that was cold as an icicle and the one Ducky had closed with a suicide verdict just minutes earlier after none of them had been able to find evidence to support DiNozzo's Juice Killer idea. He didn't like losing. Conscious of eyes on him, he looked up to see Vance standing on the catwalk. The director jerked his head and Gibbs headed upstairs, meeting the director in his office.

Vance had his back to the door, looking at the photographs on his wall.

"At the War College, one of the other boxers was a Marine. Tough bastard, semper fi to the bone." The director didn't turn around. "He trained some of the best boxers I met in those days, almost as good as the ones I knew back in Chicago."

Gibbs just waited.

"Boxing's like any sport, Gibbs. Heritage and legacy mean something for coaches. The current Little Creek coach, he trained under Quincy. Was a mean welterweight in his boxing days. Once of Quincy's last champions before he retired from the Corps. We met a few times over the years, and he called me today." Vance turned to face Gibbs.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"One of his boxers, a middleweight, died this morning on base. He was running the obstacle course with some of the other men in his unit when he was killed by what appears to be an IED." Vance crossed his arms. "They thought it was a training exercise gone bad."

"It's not."

"No. The base commander doesn't want the media to get wind of this, and he doesn't want an official investigation to attract attention on base. As far as he's concerned, the base MPs are the ones investigating."

Gibbs just looked at Vance. "So he sent word through back channels to get NCIS to investigate quietly."

Vance nodded. "I don't have to tell you what would happen if word got out that there was an act of terrorism at Little Creek."

Gibbs didn't reply, just left the office. He could see the team bantering back and forth about something as he came down the stairs. "Grab your gear."

"Boss?" DiNozzo slug his pack over his shoulder.

"I'll explain in the car." He reached for the last cup on the tray, but Ziva pulled it away.

"You do not want it, Gibbs," she said.

He glared at her.

"The coffee shop, it has a new college student working there. She is, what's the word, crunchy?"

"Flakey, Ziva." DiNozzo headed for the elevator. "And if she doesn't get her act together soon, Darren will fire her ass for incompetence."

Gibbs pulled his SIG and badge from his desk and headed for the elevator. He noticed none of the agents brought their drinks with them.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Agent Anthony DiNozzo. I've had my eye on him longer than the other agents. That time has been well spent. Agent DiNozzo is more difficult to read, and not just for me. Watching him romance that doctor was an education. He managed to fool even his team during that period. But he couldn't hide from me. I saw what he did, learned from him. He was responsible for my second kill. The first, six months earlier, had healed the wounds from the altered timetable. The second was because Agent DiNozzo is the second-most dangerous member of the team. A cop, one of those who looked the other way. And the son Leroy Jethro Gibbs never had. Just as the great man is the father that Agent DiNozzo wishes he could have. Agent DiNozzo is the one I will hurt the most before this is done. The women do not matter. Leroy Jethro Gibbs has survived the loss of a daughter before, an innocent. He survived the loss of female agents before, even ones quite close to him. He will hate the man who kills them, threaten him with death as he did with Ari Haswari. But the man who can kill the best young agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs has ever worked with, that will strike fear into his heart. Only then will he know how I felt. Only then will he understand what he has done.


	6. Chapter 5

_**AN: **Yes, another chapter. And yes, this will still take until almost Halloween to finish posting. I'm trying to get to a certain point by the end of this month when I have to get back and focus on revisions for my novel coming out mid-year. So once I get to that point, posting will probably slow down to once a week until probably the final month or so, when it will pick back up. For updates on how things are going, I'm on Twitter as jenniecoughlin - and there's usually plenty of McMayhem in my feed. :) _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Abby looked over the analysis of the skull fracture again. Even with the damage the fire had done to the gunny's skull, she'd been able to reconstruct a size and shape for the object that hit the woman. But she'd thought the accuracy was off, which might be part of why they hadn't found her killer.

The service photo they had of her showed a woman with shoulder-length hair, just long enough to pull back in accordance with regulations. But the video footage showed a woman with much longer hair, braided and pinned to her head. The braid was wrapped so it wouldn't interfere with the cover, which put part of it right where the blow had fractured her skull.

Broad and slightly curved, very likely a spade, not the shovel Ducky had first suggested. Although she'd had to listen to Ducky's lengthy explanation of the difference between the two at the time, she was glad of that now as she started running the dimensions she had calculated through the system to narrow down the list of possibilities. While one computer ran that, she continued her analysis to calculate the force of the blow and the length of the handle. She'd run this analysis when the team first caught the case, but with all the skin burned off the body, she hadn't had as much success with the wound's shape. She'd only been able to go off of the shape of the cracks in the skull. That new program, though, had let her run several simulations using the shape and size of the fracture and photos McGee had grabbed from the video of the gunnery sergeant returning from liberty to factor in the effects of her hair.

When the two computers beeped within minutes of each other, she turned and looked for Gibbs, but he didn't show up. Frowning, Abby headed to the squad room, only to find an empty bullpen.

"They're out on a case, Miss Scuito." Vance stood on the landing overlooking the bullpen.

"I think I have a lead on the gunnery sergeant." Abby bounced in place. "I got a better image of the weapon, and it's a specialized type of spade, a sharpshooter."

"Good work, Miss Scuito."

"Director, I'm not done. The shed inventory doesn't have a sharpshooter spade listed, and the shape of the spade is pretty unusual — long and skinny. Well, skinny for a spade." She grinned. "So either our killer found one there and took it with him-"

"Or he brought it for his own reasons." Vance's mouth moved into a fraction of a smile. "Does Quantico have any sharpshooters in supply?"

"I'm running that now," Abby said. "And until Bossman and the others bring me evidence from this new case, I'll go over the video footage and see if I can find anybody carrying one."

Vance nodded. "If the killer brought the spade, there had to be a reason." He paused. "She was killed in a garden shed. There were other weapons available to kill her."

"I'm already checking into similar deaths," Abby said. "I'll look at what kind of projects the spade is used for, too. Maybe that will give us a lead."

Vance nodded. "Only until the team gets back with the evidence on the current case." He outlined the details for her. "It's top priority, and high-profile. We need to solve it before word gets out."

Abby nodded. "Don't worry, Leon, we'll catch them."

"I know you will."

**~NCIS~NICS~NICS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

As Gibbs stopped to get a sitrep from the MPs on the scene, and Tony and McGee started shooting and tagging the scene, Ziva stood back and looked at the entire picture, tried to imagine what had happened. She had seen too many of these in her life. The blast radius was a cone, the dead Marine caught in it like a spotlight. She walked to stand behind the origin point and crouched down, her gloved fingers examining the scorched soil. Three indentations in the field were pointed, also conelike. She explored the area around the mine's location, taking her head close to the ground to look for patterns pressed into the grass behind it.

Shaking her head, Ziva got to her feet and went to talk to Gibbs, who was just finishing up.

"Gibbs, I believe this was a homemade claymore mine," she said. "I found the location of the mine."

"Trip wire?"

She shook her head. "I did not find any evidence of one." She paused. "Despite our last case involving one, and the one used by Director Vance and my father in Amsterdam, tripwires are not as common with those as with other types of mines. A remote control is more likely."

"We're looking for somebody who was here."

"That would be my guess, yes." She paused. "And that would mean our boxer was the intended target."

Gibbs grunted, so Ziva started interviewing witnesses. There were not many — the field was reserved for the obstacle course, orienteering and sniper training, so no buildings were nearby and there were few people around. She noted what information she could and then went to find McGee.

"McGee, how easy is it to get onto this base?"

He stood up, evidence bag in hand. "Not very. This isn't like the Navy Yard or Quantico where there are museums and other facilities on site that are open to the public. There, you only need to show a driver's license and tell them where you're going. Here, you need to be sponsored by somebody here to get on base. There is a strip of land that's civilian that cuts through the base, but they keep an eye on that."

Ziva frowned. "But it seemed as though there were a large number of civilians on base as we drove through."

McGee's face squinched, no, scrunched up. "You're right, Ziva. I'm going to check into that." He started tapping his phone, and Ziva moved off to see if Tony needed assistance. Ducky and Jimmy had arrived and were examining the dead Marine, Gibbs observing and barking questions at Ducky.

**~NCIS~NICS~NICS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Abby decided to skip a trip to the coffee shop for a Caf-Pow and headed back to her lab. Her main lab computer was still searching old case files, and the one next to it was running Quantico's supply lists, so she went into her office to research sharpshooters.

The ding from the main lab sent her out there to find a big red "no results found" box on the Quantico supply search. "Ha! Got you!" She loaded up that computer with the video footage from the base and sent it to the plasma to start watching. She started 24 hours before the gunny's return to base, looking for any evidence of the spade. It had to arrive on base somehow, and then had to find its way to the garden shed. Pausing the video, she pulled up the base gate logs and started running all plates for all vehicles that had entered the base the 24 hours before the fire.

Before she could start up the video again, her main lab computer beeped. Abby rolled her chair across the room, her eyes wide as she looked at the file on the screen.

Lance Corporal Megan Walker had been killed by a blow to the head while making the rounds at Anacostia back in November 2005. The MP's killer had never been found. Balboa's team had worked the case. Abby scowled as she saw Chip's notes on the forensics forms. But her own weren't anywhere to be found, which was odd. Until she pulled up the other cases during that week and found it was the same week Tony had been accused of murder.

"Please tell me I did not miss something that would have found this guy because I was trying to save Tony," she muttered as she read through the file. But the evidence was minimal. The MP had fought with her boyfriend a few days earlier, and even though he had an alibi, Bolboa's team hadn't found any other suspects. But the also hadn't found enough evidence to link anybody — much less the boyfriend — to the death.

Abby pulled up Ducky's report and couldn't help but wincing at the skull X-ray. Her head had been cracked open, and the dent in the flesh matched the shape of the sharpshooters she'd found that fit the description of the weapon. The blow on the 2005 death was harder than on the gunny's head, but the cushioning of the hair might explain that.

Abby's fingers attacked the keyboard as she started cross-referencing the two files, looking for common elements. Both female, both MPs, both based at Quantico. Same murder weapon. The fire was different, though.

She pulled up their service records. Walker's was pretty standard. She was a good Marine, got good marks from her COs, but nothing outstanding. Her short blonde hair curled at the edges, and Abby imagined she must have decided to keep it shorter than strictly necessary to avoid major hat hair from her cover. A good marine, rising through the ranks, but nothing spectacular. Everybody liked her, based on what Balboa's notes recorded.

Ianuskewicz was different, a standout Marine who was rocketing up the ranks. She got good marks from her COs, but Gibbs and the rest of the team had found a few people who resented her quick climb, mostly older, male Marines in the MP unit. She wore her straight red hair long, pulled back while on base. She was taller than Walker, but not by more than an inch or two. Not enough to give her any information on the killer's height. Neither woman topped 5' 6" so the information that the killer struck from slightly above didn't narrow the field much. Ducky was the only man she could think of who might have been too short to strike that blow, and Marines his height were unusual.

Abby frowned and programmed in a few searches. The first looked for any dead female MPs among the unsolved cases. The second, for anybody who was stationed at Quantico in 2005 and today. She set a third search for any other dead female Marines with unsolved cases, then a similar one for unsolved Quantico deaths. Her final search — for now — looked for dead MPs. Then she set up all the searches to cross-reference for any case that showed up on more than one list.

Before she could do anything else, McGee wheeled a cart full of evidence boxes into the lab.

**~NCIS~NICS~NICS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

McGee could sense Abby vibrating around the lab as she bounced among all the beeping computers, but he focused in on his own. She'd filled him in on her theory while they were testing the evidence in this case, but McGee was too busy trying to run down the background on their dead Marine to figure out why somebody would target him. He'd grown up in a tough inner-city Baltimore neighborhood, gotten noticed at a Golden Gloves tournament by a Marine recruiter. McGee made a note to look into that, since the Corps didn't recruit for its boxing teams. He also wanted to look into the Baltimore connection. It wasn't that long of a drive, and the Marine was only 21 — this could still be a grudge from his own neighborhood. He couldn't find a record of gang involvement or a juvenile record, but it would have been sealed when he turned 18.

"Abbs, you got the list of components for the IED yet?" He didn't look up from the screen. "I want to see if I can trace them before Gibbs walks in and asks-"

"Whatcha got, Abbs?" Gibbs walked in, coffee and Caf-Pow in hand.

McGee snorted and Abby giggled.

Gibbs just looked at them.

"Impeccable timing, as always, El Jefe." Abby grinned. "I'm just finishing my reconstruction of the blast pattern. McGee, the list of material is in your email."

He nodded and started looking for purchases of the chemicals used to create the explosive while Abby walked Gibbs through the blast reconstruction.

"Ziva was right — this is basically a claymore mine, although a homemade one." Abby finished up.

Before she could say anything else, McGee's computer started beeping. He looked at the screen, eyebrows shooting high.

"Boss, I've got hits on both cases."

"Hot one first."

McGee nodded. "I found the recruiter's file on this guy, and it looks like he was skating right along the line of getting in serious trouble back in middle school. A Baltimore cop brought him down to the boxing ring, hooked him up with a guy who tried to keep kids out of trouble, and that did the trick. The recruiter had managed to recruit several of the kids from that gym — the Corps gave them a way out of the neighborhood and let them keep boxing if they wanted. It was one of his regular stopping points."

"Get me-"

"I sent the recruiter's name to Tony — he might be able to track down the cop if the guy's still with the department."

"And doesn't hate Tony," Abby said.

"Right, and doesn't hate Tony." McGee rolled his eyes. "Hopefully this one wasn't dirty." At Gibbs' glare, he stopped. "Right, Boss. Still tracing the explosives."

"The other case?"

"Right." McGee tapped a few keys to bring up the file. "Looks like we have one other unsolved MP death. It's a different MO, but also somebody stationed at Quantico. This was a guy, a first sergeant, and he was shot off base while he was on liberty. He had a reputation with the women, and a couple of his girlfriends turned out to be married, so Krone's team thought it was a jealous husband. But they never did find a killer."

"Keep digging, both cases." Gibbs left.

**~NCIS~NICS~NICS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Some days, it is enough for me to watch and listen, to learn more about this team. Others, I must go and research my targets, make sure they are precise. Both are important. I note down everything I learn about the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team. You never know just when a detail might be needed. There was one incident during Agent Todd's first few months on the team that I made note of. She reminded me of Sarah when I heard about it. Sarah tormented me. She didn't know her place, and neither did Agent Todd. If they had, if they had given me the respect I deserved, things might have been different. I'm glad they weren't. Because of Sarah, I have greatness within my grasp. Because of Agent Todd, Leroy Jethro Gibbs will soon begin to realize that.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

An hour later, Gibbs walked into Autopsy to find Ducky bent over the body, examining the wounds on his chest.

"What ya got, Duck?"

"Ah, Jethro. Fragments of metal, nails, other shrapnel designed to cause maximum damage, as you might expect. I imagine Abigail can calculate the trajectory and so forth. A great deal of bruising on the torso, likely attributable to his avocation as a pugilist."

"Got something I don't know?" Gibbs scanned the body.

"Patience, Jethro. There is no mystery about how this man died, and I have not yet found any mysteries in his life. However, the composition of the debris we picked from his body was regularly irregular."

Gibbs stared, waiting for the explanation.

"Well, I suppose I should say that several of the fragments were similar shapes, though I have not been able to figure out what that shape looked like before the mine detonated. Abby might have better luck. Mr. Palmer is just bringing the shrapnel to her now."

Gibbs nodded, then left. Stepping in the elevator, he checked his watch. Leon hadn't asked for a progress report yet, but he would soon — SecNav would be breathing down his neck.

He skipped the lab, wanting to give Abby more time with the shrapnel before asking her for answers. The bullpen was quiet as he approached.

"Sitrep?" As he walked into the team's space, Tony stood.

"Talked to Officer Kelly in Baltimore," the senior field agent said. "He remembers our dead Marine, apparently one of the most promising of the kids he was able to get off the streets and into the boxing ring. He would have liked the kid to go to college, but money's always the issue, so the kid chose the Corps, according to the guy who runs the boxing ring. I also ran the backgrounds of the other marines running the course at the time — none of them appeared to have a grudge against our dead marine, and none of them were absent from the group long enough to trigger the mine."

"Ziva?"

"Gibbs, there was a golf tournament on base, so there were a number of civilians present." Ziva consulted a list in her hand. "So far, I have not found any names with connections to Baltimore or to our Marine. I also have not picked up any increase in chatter in the intelligence community about this, which lessens the possibility this was an act of terrorism."

Gibbs growled. "Why this guy?"

Ziva stepped out from behind her desk. "Gibbs, perhaps it is just because I was more aware of it, but does this not strike you as similar to the attack on the director and Eli when my father was in town?"

"Boss, she's right," Tony said. "If you're trying to take somebody out, especially somebody on a military base, there are lots of bombs that are easier to build and can be triggered remotely. Why pick the kind where you need to be there?"

"Better question." Gibbs looked at each of them. "Why do something like this without making the message clear?"

"That's a good question." Vance stood on the landing above the bullpen. "Gibbs, my office."

He followed Vance up the stairs. Once they were in the director's office, Vance turned to face Gibbs. "You think David and DiNozzo are right?"

Gibbs paused. "I think it's an odd coincidence that a boxer with a background like yours would be killed with an unusual bomb in an attack that mirrors one you suffered." He shrugged one shoulder. "But sending a message to the head of an armed federal agency usually requires a message-" He broke off.

"Gibbs?"

"Duck said the shrapnel was an unusual shape, sent it to Abby to analyze." Gibbs headed for the door as he spoke, not surprised when Vance followed him.

Abby and McGee were hard at work when they walked in.

"What ya got, Abbs?" Gibbs walked behind the desk and looked through at his two geniuses.

"This is hinky, Gibbs." Abby tapped on her keyboard, then motioned to the plasma. "The pieces of shrapnel Ducky flagged for me are mostly pewter, which is a weird type of metal to use in a bomb. It's a softer metal, and has a low melting point, which explains why the pieces are so misshapen. The good news is it's not as common a metal, and it has a lot of different formulations, so once Major Mass Spec finishes analyzing this pewter, I'll be able to trace it and hopefully figure out where it came from."

"Maybe that's the message, Gibbs." Vance walked over and stood beside him. "He did everything else right on this case, including doing this on our biggest base. Doesn't seem likely he'd make a mistake here."

"You got some special pewter connection, Leon?" Gibbs didn't wait for an answer before turning to McGee.

"Boss, the mine explosive was a homemade mixture, and the ingredients are pretty common. If we had somebody to look for, we could probably trace the purchases back as evidence, but trying to trace the materials to somebody will take a lot longer. I also cross-referenced the gate logs to the terror watchlist and came up empty. I'm running them through the more thorough check that Eric in LA developed in case it was a deep sleeper, but nothing so far."

Before Gibbs could respond, Vance spoke. "Good work Agent McGee. Gibbs, I'm going to inform SecNav that NCIS has turned up no evidence that this is the work of terrorists and we are continuing to investigate it as a personal attack."

"On you?" Gibbs lifted an eyebrow.

"On the Marine who was killed today." Vance paused. "Let me know once you find out what those pewter pieces are." He walked off, leaving Gibbs with the others in the lab.

"Boss, while the computers were running, I pulled some more information on that MP case we found earlier." McGee sent the information to the plasma. "The first sergeant was shot in Virginia Beach, out clubbing. The local LEO's caught the case and had it for 24 hours before calling NCIS."

"Navy town, McGee. Marine haircut. They had to know."

McGee nodded. "The first sergeant wore his hair as long as regulations allowed, and he was shot in the head. He was in jeans and a T-shirt, no ID. Just a Polaroid in the back pocket of his jeans. LEO's didn't know he might be one of ours until the ME found a Semper Fi tat above his heart."

"What did Ducky have when they turned over the body."

McGee paled. "Um, they didn't, Boss." He straightened up. "The body was found the day after Pin-Pin Pula blew you up. Director Shepard told the case agents in Norfolk to let the LEOs finish the forensics since they had started because our ME and lab were busy tracking a case of national security."

Gibbs cursed under his breath. "Get any reports from that case Norfolk still has, either our office or the local police, evidence too." He turned to Abby. "When you get the ballistics, run the gun, see if we can link this case to others through the gun."

He stalked out, into the elevator. Once inside, he slammed his hand against the wall. "Dammit, I do not like losing." He cursed again, knowing the one he really wanted to curse at was Jenny for not making sure the MP's killer was found. This was too many unsolved cases — four murders, two of them ice-cold and none of them closed.

He walked through the squad room, then into the main elevator. It was definitely time for coffee, and that girl who screwed up the order earlier today had better either have learned or quit.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

And so it begins. They have started to notice that they are not as smart as they think. The unflappable Leroy Jethro Gibbs might even begin to worry once he starts to put together the pieces. They have five pieces so far, though they do not realize all five are part of the same puzzle. I designed it that way. Soon, Leroy Jethro Gibbs will realize what I have accomplished. But he can't take his famous gut into court, and I was careful. It was my sacrifice. The last person who tried this, he chose fame and Leroy Jethro Gibbs refused to give it to him. He set himself up to get caught. That was his goal. It isn't mine. I want to break Gibbs. I want him to know that he wasn't good enough. He ruined my peace. For that, I will return the favor. When this ends, I will be free. And he will be haunted by the agonies of his failures until they drive him into insanity.


	8. Chapter 7

_**AN:** Are you confused yet? So is the team. But I'm loving hearing theories and comments, so please keep sharing. Just don't expect me to tell you if you're right or not. ;) _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

The coffee shop was almost empty when Gibbs walked in, just Balboa standing at the counter while a girl fumbled around behind the counter. Gibbs scowled and stalked up to the counter.

"Coffee. Large. Black." He handed over the cash, not waiting for the change. He headed for the pick-up counter, hearing the change drop into the tip jar behind him.

"Gibbs." Balboa didn't say anything else.

"Balboa. You remember the Walker case?"

The younger agent thought for a second. "You got more than a name?"

"Quantico MP, blunt-force trauma to the head."

Balboa grimaced. "Cold case, from Shepard's time. That assistant that tried to set up DiNozzo did the forensics. I always thought there had to be more if I could get Abby to look at it, but Shepard was on the warpath about agency resources around then and you were the only one who was able to tell her to go to hell and not get your ass kicked for doing it. To be honest, I'd forgotten about it until you brought it up." He cocked his head. "You catch a break on it?"

Just then one of the workers passed a cup to Gibbs. The girl behind the counter was still fumbling around with Balboa's drink, and Gibbs didn't wait. He wasn't going to ream Balboa in public.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Ziva finished reading the cold case files McGee had passed around when he returned from the lab when Gibbs walked back in, coffee in tow.

"Somebody had better have information on at least one of our cases." He set the coffee down and stowed his gun as Ziva stood.

"Gibbs, I am not sure how many cases we have." She held the file on the MP who had been shot. "This does not seem to fit with the other two MPs Abby connected. And today's case seems more important." But as soon as she said that, she wished she had not, as Gibbs glared.

"Boss, I think it's just two cases," McGee said. "The two cold cases have a shared piece of evidence, based on the lists in the files, and the MO in the Ianuskewicz case connects that one with the Walker case."

"But that still does not explain why we are more worried about three older cases, or two or one, than about today's case." Ziva walked into the bullpen. "If we are up against somebody who can place a bomb on our country's biggest naval base, is that not a big deal? Especially when the Marine who was killed can be linked back to the director?"

"It's is, Zee-vah." Tony came around and sat on the edge of his desk. "While McGoogle's been working those cases, I've been looking at today's. Security footage at Little Creek shows a much higher volume of cars, which you would expect with the golf tournament. But everybody was logged in and out, and they all had the right credentials, either DOD-issued or sponsored by somebody on base. I've been looking for connections back to Baltimore, and narrowed it down to about two dozen, and Detective Kelly just got that list to see if he recognizes any of the names."

"I do not think a gang-thumper is going to know how to arm and detonate a claymore mine." Ziva crossed her arms. "As Abby pointed out when the director was injured, it is not common knowledge. Even the style of explosive could be considered specialized knowledge."

"Hah! Now that's where you're wrong, my little ninja." Tony smirked and reached behind him to pull a book from his desk drawer. "And it's gang-banger, by the way."

"Cubicle Warfare?" Ziva leaned over to look. "You need a book for that?"

Gibbs stalked over, grabbed the book and smacked Tony's head. Ziva stifled a snicker.

"Studying how to goof off, DiNozzo?"

"Stole it from McCatapult's desk, actually." Tony grinned, and Ziva had to bite back another laugh. "But one of the toy weapons in there is a candy claymore mine, and it talks about what claymore mines are."

"Boss, Tony's got a point. Sarah mentioned the book to me because her high school physics teacher had it in his classroom as a resource for some of their projects." McGee looked around his computer. "When I went to order it off of Amazon, it was ranked pretty highly — there are a lot of these books out there. And if our killer has ever seen it, he or she wouldn't have to look far to find instructions online to build a real one."

Ziva frowned. "But that would require knowledge of the chemistry to make the explosives, would it not?"

"Sounds like we're looking for a science geek," Tony said. "That's right up your alley, McGeek."

"Any of your Baltimore names have a science background?" McGee retorted.

"Focus." Gibbs sipped his coffee. "Abby have a source on that pewter yet?"

McGee shook his head. "She was still running it through Major Mass Spec, thought it would be about an hour before she could track down the possible sources."

"And while we're waiting on her and Detective Kelly, we can look at our other cases." Tony picked up the remote. "Boss, I think we've got four cases total: The boxer, the two female MPs, the MP who was shot and our Navy geek." He put photos of each on the screen.

"Suicide."

"Is that what your gut's telling you?" Tony stepped up to face Gibbs.

Ziva was surprised when Gibbs declined to agree with Tony.

"Ducky has said it was a suicide," she said. "Are you saying Ducky is wrong?"

"I'm saying it doesn't add up," Tony said. "And that means we have four cases."

"Tony, Ziva's right. We don't have any reason to think that wasn't a suicide." McGee reached over and grabbed the remote, deleting the picture of the dead cryptographer. "But that leaves us with two cases, not three." He pulled up evidence lists. "Abby connected the two female MPs by their cause of death and the murder weapon. The first MP killed, Walker, had a Polaroid photo in the breast pocket of her BDUs when she was found. The one shot six months later had a Polaroid in his back pocket of his jeans, the one that hadn't held his wallet."

"So?" Tony said.

"Tony, even five years ago, Polaroids were less common. The company went bankrupt in 2001 and was sold in 2005 before announcing in 2008, they were taking the the film off the market completely." McGee zoomed in on another item on the list. "Both of our MPs had digital cameras, so why would they use a Polaroid?"

"Perhaps it was an older photo," Ziva said.

McGee shook his head. "The report on the MP who was shot said the photo was too crisp to have been in the guy's back pocket for long. They tried to trace it, thinking he had gotten it at wherever he'd been — it was a photo of a heart and the guy was known as a womanizer — but they didn't have any luck."

"Well, no, McInnocent, that was the point of Polaroids. If you wanted to take the kind of naughty photos you didn't want your local drugstore clerk developing, you'd use a Polaroid." Tony wiggled his eyebrows.

"You are speaking from experience?" Ziva could not resist asking. Tony's cheeks turned a bit pink, and Ziva smirked. "You _are_ speaking from experience."

"What was the photo in Walker's pocket?' Gibbs looked at McGee.

"Not sure, Boss. That wasn't listed in the report, and I haven't had time to pull the old evidence files from the archives."

"Then we do not know if the three MPs make two cases or one," Ziva said. "Gibbs, I do not think they are connected. It was a different cause of death, and the two that we can link are both women. It does not seem likely that a man killed by a different method, even if he did have a photo, would be linked. And Tony has given us a reason for the photo's presence." She walked over and pointed at the plasma. "We have two bodies, six years apart, that are likely a single case. We have two other cases. And we have a body Ducky has ruled suicide. That means we have three open cases, not two and not four."

"I don't want a single open case." Gibbs snarled. "David, help DiNozzo on today's case. McGee, get somebody to dig out that evidence and take it to Abby — not you — then figure out who the hell blew up that Marine."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Vance sat at his desk, the copy of the personnel file on the young Marine who had died today spread before him. Its contents were familiar, much the same as anybody would have seen had they looked at Leon Vance's file before the medical discharge that changed his life.

Ever since Quincy had called, he'd been looking over the file, looking for a reason. When Gibbs had relayed the news about the style of explosive and Ziva's suggestion this was mimicking the blast that had almost killed him, he began looking more closely. Still, he couldn't find a link. Not a credible one. Any other team, and he would have dismissed the idea. But Gibbs thought it was important enough to share, and Gibbs didn't do that on a whim.

Vance pulled out his cell phone and hit the first number on speed dial.

"Leon?"

"Hi, honey." Vance hesitated for a moment. "Everything all right there?"

"It is. Leon, what aren't you telling me?"

"It's probably nothing." The fingers of his free hand tapped the folder on his desk. "Just an odd coincidence."

"Leon."

"Just... be careful. If anything seems unusual, let me know, and keep the kids close by after school."

"Leon Vance, you know something."

"Jackie, sweetheart, I don't. It's just... a feeling. Humor me, OK?"

"Tonight after dinner, we are going to talk. You hear me?"

Vance agreed, and managed to end the call. Gibbs' team was good. Hopefully by then, he would have the answers he didn't have now.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Director Leon Vance is a difficult man to read, and a difficult one to follow. The security around him is greater, and the space separating his home from the street and other yards is larger. Only after that assassin managed to get into his home did I learn the best routes to observe covertly. Before then, I was limited to what I could learn while he was on the Navy Yard or out in the city. My first kill because of him was blunt, a giant arrow pointing the way. This next one will be more refined. More pointed. But this one, they will notice. My most recent kill caught their attention. I gave them just enough information that they will begin to learn just how many steps behind me they are. They will be watching when I make my next kill. They just won't be watching the right places. The one after that, same thing. It will be three more dead after that before they begin to understand what they're dealing with. Before they start to realize just how far ahead of them I am.


	9. Chapter 8

_**AN: **March is here, which means I need to get back to revisions on the novel. In turn, that means updates are going to slow down to once a week for a while. Probably Wednesdays or Thursdays for now because of my work schedule. And yes, that makes the ending of this chapter very evil. :) _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8 <strong>

Abby darted between her various computers, starting tests and running searches trying to find evidence before Gibbs showed up. One had just dinged when Bossman walked in, Caf-Pow in hand.

"Whatcha ya got, Abbs?"

She walked over to the computer and pulled up the results. "Oh, this is not good, Bossman. Really not good." She stared at the images on the screen. "Really, really, really-"

"Abby." Gibbs put his hands on her shoulders. "What did you find?"

"The pewter objects mixed into the shrapnel that killed our Marine were small hearts, sold by a novelty company. You know, the type of thing you pass out on Valentine's Day or something like that."

"Hearts?" Gibbs didn't say anything, and Abby rushed on.

"But Gibbs, that's not the hinky part." She tapped a few more keys and brought up a photo from evidence. "We've seen these before."

Gibbs walked over to the plasma and looked at the screen. "Those aren't damaged from the blast."

Abby shook her head, barely noticing when a pigtail smacked her face. "Those aren't from this case. That's the contents of the pockets of our dead lieutenant at Anacostia, the one Ducky ruled a suicide."

Gibbs cursed. "He was involved?"

"He didn't set the bomb, Gibbs. He was dead. And somebody living set off that bomb this morning."

But Gibbs already was walking out, phone to his ear.

Abby focused on the photos for a second, then started pulling up all the evidence from the case they'd ruled a suicide despite the lack of motive. She had a bad feeling about this one.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs waited for the elevator.

"McGee." He didn't wait for the agent to reply. "Did Andrews have the knowledge to make a claymore mine?"

"Andrews? The suicide?"

"Abby just linked him with our dead Marine — he had some of those damn pewter things in his pockets. And he has a science background." Gibbs hung up and stepped into the elevator.

He'd never liked the suicide verdict because it didn't fit. But a sailor who'd helped kill a Marine? That was something to feel guilty about. And if they could tie the sailor to anybody connected to the Marine, they just might be able to find this bastard.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

McGee hung up the phone. "We're screwed."

"What is it, McPessimist?"

McGee told them what Abby had found. "So either our dead sailor helped somebody who's still out there kill a Marine-"

"Or we've got somebody killing sailors and Marines who are like us." Tony finished his sentence.

"I do not understand." Ziva looked up from her desk.

"Simple, Zee-va," Tony said. "We've got a dead Marine boxer from the inner city who used boxing and the Corps as a way out. Sound like anybody we know? Like our esteemed director? And we've got a dead Navy geek who was an MIT McGenius." Tony looked over at him, and McGee paled.

"Oh, shit. I hadn't even thought about that." He swallowed. "I was just going to say 'or we've got a serial killer with a weird calling card.' I didn't think about somebody targeting us."

"Yeah, well, you're the only one on the team who doesn't have an enemies list that's longer than you are tall." Tony shook his head. "The real question is, which kind of case is this?"

"It would seem like the first thing we need to do is figure out if our dead lieutenant was victim or accomplice," Ziva said.

McGee shook his head, rolled his shoulders. He had to focus. "Well, the lieutenant lived on Anacostia and worked at the Pentagon, so while he had access to Little Creek, he couldn't have gotten somebody else access."

"But could he have gotten the bomb on base?" Ziva stood and walked into the middle of the bullpen. "The bomb could have come on base separate from our bomber."

McGee checked the specs he and Abby had compiled. "The bomb could have been made up to two weeks before it was detonated, and as long as the explosive charge wasn't connected, it could have sat in a storage unit or someplace out of the way until it was time to set it."

"And he's a science geek, so he would know how to make one." Tony looked over, and McGee stifled a sigh.

"Andrews was a math geek — that's where cryptography comes from." But McGee started searching his files. "Math and science aren't the same thing, and he could have focused on the math-heavy sciences." He pulled up a copy of the dead lieutenant's transcript. "But he didn't. He took several chemistry courses at MIT. He had the knowledge."

"But we still do not know that he did," Ziva said.

McGee nodded and called down to Autopsy.

"Ducky, did you find any evidence of explosive residue on Lt. Andrews' hands or body?" He listened, then hung up and called Abby to ask the same question about his effects.

"Ducky didn't find anything, and the body's been released. Abby didn't, but she wasn't looking for it, either. She's going to start testing, but said I owe her a Caf-Pow because she's drowning in tests."

"Just gave her one." Gibbs walked into the bullpen. "Report."

The three agents took turns outlining what they had.

"Boss, Abby's testing for any evidence to link Andrews to the bomb, and I'm just putting in a search to cross-reference anybody in his phone and email logs with the lists Tony and Ziva compiled for the bombing."

"Boss, the more disturbing possibility McGee hasn't mentioned is that Andrews wasn't part of the mad bomb plot, but was a victim." Tony sent both photos to the plasma. "If he was, then there aren't any common links — different bases, different branches, different specialties, different backgrounds. The only thing they have in common is one reminds us an awful lot of McGeek and the other of our esteemed director."

"You have evidence for that, Agent DiNozzo?"

McGee looked over his shoulder to see Vance on the landing above the bullpen.

"Abby and I both noticed the similarities between our maybe-not-a-suicidal sailor and McGeek when we worked that case, and we've all been commenting on the similarities between our dead boxer and you, Director."

Vance headed down the steps and joined them in the bullpen. "In that case, you have another case. Dead submariner, just called in."

Before any of them could ask why, the director took the remote from Tony.

"We got the call because this is the first class of women to be stationed on submarines. They started training in December and will graduate next year. Not everybody in the brass is happy about the change." Vance held the remote, yet didn't do anything. "It's a high-profile case, so they sent the information right to me. I noticed something when I saw the sailor's photo in the service record. But I think you'll notice something different." He pulled the file onto the screen. "She looks like Dr. Cranston."

McGee shook his head. "You mean she looks like Kate."

Tony slammed his his hand into the file cabinet. "Dammit, Boss. It has to be deliberate. But how does this guy know this stuff?"

"Agent DiNozzo?" Vance lifted an eyebrow.

"Probie's first case, when he was in Norfolk. An eco-terrorist smuggled sarin gas onto a sub. Gibbs needed a profiler on board to help him figure out who the imposter was, and that meant Kate. The commander on base refused, said women weren't allowed on subs. Gibbs had to threaten him to get Kate aboard." Tony's mouth was set in a grim line as he finished. "How was she killed?"

"A single gunshot to the middle of the forehead." Vance's words hung in the air, and McGee felt his knees wobble a bit. Even Ziva looked pale at that news.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

He drives them hard. He drives himself harder. Especially when he — finally — has caught the scent. Leroy Jethro Gibbs is following the trail I am laying for him, and he and his team will not go home until they run me to the ground. They do not realize that this is part of my plan. When they do realize, it will be too late. The first of their rank will be dead, and the memories it triggers will play right into my hands.


	10. Chapter 9

_Character spoiler for Broken Arrow/Need To Know in S9. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9 <strong>

They stared at the plasma in silence for a minute. Gibbs swallowed, unsure what to say for once. He took a deep breath and reached for his badge and weapon.

"Grab your gear."

Tony and Ziva reached for theirs, but McGee shook his head.

"Boss, you need one of us here trying to figure out who the common denominator is among all three victims, and I can probably do that the fastest." The junior agent paused. "This guy's only taken out three so far — me, Vance and Kate, if we're right about what's going on. The sooner we find a link among them, the sooner we can figure out who else this guy's targeting and protect them."

Gibbs growled. "Stay. But I need another agent in the field — we need to make sure we document everything." He looked around, but the only team he saw was Balboa's and he was just irked enough about that cold case Balboa had let slide that he didn't want to ask the agent for a favor.

"Take Dorneget," Vance said. "He needs more field experience if he's going to be a field agent one day."

Gibbs nodded. "Ziva, gas the truck. DiNozzo, get Dorneget, meet us downstairs." He turned to McGee. "Work in the lab. Nobody on the team goes solo until we catch this bastard."

He headed for the elevator, hoping Vance was right to assign them Dorneget. They couldn't afford any probie mistakes on this case.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Vance made two phone calls, then headed to the lab. He walked in to find Scuito and McGee standing over the lab table.

"You two need an extra pair of hands?" He joined them.

"You're offering to help, Director?" McGee arched an eyebrow.

"You were right upstairs, Agent McGee. We need to find this person quickly. I'm not a forensics wizard, but I can help with the computer end of things." Vance surveyed the evidence on the table. "What's the plan?"

"I'm pulling cell, email and landline logs for the newest victim," McGee said. "I need to crossreference those with the first two victims and find the common vectors."

"This one should narrow it down," Vance said. "The sub crews undergo more than a year of training, starting with six months in Goose Creek and ending with 10 weeks in New London. She's been in Goose Creek for the past four months, with only occasional weekend liberty."

"What was she doing up here?" Scuito looked at him. "I mean, South Carolina's a long way from here, Leon."

"Her father's an admiral at NAVFAC. She's a third-generation Academy graduate. From what SecNav said when he briefed me, she often would use her weekend liberty to come up here to visit her father. Her mother died four years ago, so it's just the two of them." Vance scanned the evidence. "Either of the others have a Navy Yard connection?"

"Andrews had a weekly meeting here, representing his Pentagon unit with SPAWAR." McGee turned and pulled something up on the computer. "He would have been here the afternoon he died."

Vance nodded. "I'll pull the base logs, see what I can find."

"I've got my babies running tests, Leon, and I'm going to try and trace purchases of those hearts."

The three settled into work, and Vance spared just a second to marvel again at the skill in this team.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony waited for Gibbs to give the orders when they reached the crime scene at the edge of Rock Creek Park.

"DiNozzo, Dorneget, bag, tag, sketch and shoot. David, interview the witnesses."

Tony nodded. "Come on, Dorneget." He looked over at the young agent. "You done this since FLETC?"

Dorney shook his head. "No, Agent DiNozzo."

Tony suppressed a sigh. "Just do what I tell you." He outlined what steps they needed to take. Dorneget started forward. "What's Rule 2?"

"McGee didn't mention that one."

"Always wear gloves at a crime scene." Tony pulled an extra pair from his pocket and handed them to the rookie.

"Right, sir." Dorneget pulled on the gloves. Tony handed him the camera. While Dorneget took the first several shots, Tony just looked at the body. She lay on her back, dark hair spread on the ground around her head. Even though she wore BDUs and dog tags, he couldn't help but picture a bulletproof vest and NCIS windbreaker. He reached up and rubbed his face, the metallic tang of blood as real as if it was actually on his lips.

"Agent DiNozzo?" Dorney's uncertain voice reminded him this was now, not seven years ago.

"Let me look, Dorneget." Tony took the camera and examined the photos. Not bad. "You keep shooting. I'm going to start bagging and tagging."

As Tony collected evidence, he kept an eye out for those damned metal hearts. A glint by the submariner's hair caught his eye. "Dorney, come here." Tony motioned to the spot on the ground. "Document this while I investigate." As Dorney photographed him, Tony moved aside strands of the sailor's hair to reveal a scattering of the hearts on the ground. He bagged them up and labeled them, then called McGee.

"Found our guy's calling card," he said. "We've officially got a serial on our hands. You got anything to help us?" He listened. "Thanks, McGee." He disconnected and dropped his phone back in his pocket. "Keep shooting, Dorney."

Tony jogged over to where Gibbs was standing in the nearby parking lot. "This her car, Boss?"

Gibbs nodded and lifted a brow.

"Same guy. Found his calling card. McGee and Vance found Navy Yard connections to two of the three, so they're focusing on that since this guy's also after us."

"Ya think?" Gibbs looked over to the crime scene. "Dorney working out?"

"He can shoot. Not trusting him on anything else yet. Don't want this SOB to walk because we screw something up."

"He's not walking. Not on this." A muscle in Gibbs' jaw twitched. "Hope the bastard resists arrest."

"Might not be a he, Boss." Tony reviewed the three cases in his head. "None of these needed any special strength or height — no reason they couldn't be a woman."

"I'm not doing that him/her crap while we chase this bastard down," Gibbs said. "Whatever parts our killer has, we need to find and stop this before anybody else dies."

Before Tony could reply, Ducky and Palmer arrived, arguing about how they could have gotten lost when they'd averaged a trip a month to Rock Creek Park for the nine years Jimmy had been on the team.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Ziva finished interviewing the joggers who found the body and looked back toward the crime scene. She had never seen photos of Kate's death, but as Ari's handler, she had seen many of the agent alive. Since joining the team, she had seen Kate's photo in the apartments of each of the team members. Ari had gone after the team to get at Gibbs, had almost killed Abby and McGee. This was a different kind of killer, but still, it took a special kind of monster to take this approach. One warped beyond all recognition. Ari had been intent on bringing down Eli, ruining the man who had ruined him. What was this killer's goal? What did he or she hope to accomplish? And if Gibbs was the target, why not go after the team itself? Why lookalikes?

She forced the questions to the back of her mind and headed to join the others.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

McGee frowned as yet another search came up empty. "This doesn't make sense."

Abby and Vance looked over at him.

"This whole case doesn't make sense, McGee," Abby said.

"I can't turn up a single common link between the three victims." McGee got up and started pacing. "No people, no contacts. And the Navy Yard theory doesn't work either. The only time I can find that the boxer was on the Yard was for an awards ceremony at the museum next door a year ago."

"That's not the only thing that doesn't make sense," Vance said. "How did our killer know that story about Agent Todd and the submarine?"

"Kate was pretty mad about it," Abby said. "Most of NCIS probably heard the story."

"Oh, shit." McGee stopped in his tracks. "A couple of times lately I've felt like I was being watched. Tony was with me the last time, and he had the same feeling."

"Where?" Vance looked right at him.

"The first time was outside, in the parking lot. I went to the coffee shop and had the same feeling." McGee thought back. "There were a few of the intel analysts in there, a couple of DOT workers. An admiral."

"We can probably rule out the DOT workers," Abby said. "They didn't move over here until a few years ago, so they wouldn't have been around when the sub story was making the rounds."

"But the intel analysts could have been." McGee pressed his lips together. "And they have enough clearance to access our old case files, not to mention our personnel files, or parts of them. They also could get on all three bases."

"Motive?" Vance looked at him, then Abby. "McGee, make a list of names. I'm going back to my office to pull those files and a few others, make it look like routine personnel actions. I'll also check time cards and other information, see if we can narrow it down by opportunity."

McGee nodded and sat back at his computer. "Director, I'm going to wait half an hour, then make a caffeine run. I'll bring a cup up to you. If anybody asks, I tell them I spilled yours this morning and after working for Gibbs, I know the only apology is a replacement cup." He smirked. "At least half the building still sees me as the goofy probie. They'll believe that I tripped over my own two feet."

Vance gave a nod and left. As soon as he did, Abby wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Be careful, Timmy. This guy's playing for keeps."

"Don't worry, Abbs. We'll catch him."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

I could not wait around the park until the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team arrived to see my latest success. But I'm sure this case will be all I hear about tonight when I report to work. They must know they are under siege by now. The next body, they will realize I have powers they are not aware of. The one after that, I will give them the piece they need to connect some of the dots. Just enough to realize this is bigger than they think. Another body, another clue. And then my strike begins in earnest. I know the way his mind works. Leroy Jethro Gibbs is nothing if not driven. He will push them night and day until they find me. By doing so, he will deliver each of them into my hands. Only three will be left alive at the end of this, and all three will be broken beyond repair. I will have won.


	11. Chapter 10

_**AN: **Another week, another chapter. :) Some interesting guesses so far on possible suspects for this case. This chapter, the team has one big question staring them in the face. Can you figure out the answer before they do? _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

McGee was just about to head for coffee when Abby stopped him. "You said Bossman said not to go anyplace along."

"You're safer in the lab than out there," he said.

She shook her head. "If you're right and it's one of the intel analysts, I'm no safer here than outside."

"You could lock the lab doors."

She just looked at McGee, hands on her hips.

"Right, last time you did that, we all knew something was up." He sighed. "If I tell you to do something, you need to do it. Gibbs will kill both of us if something happens to you."

Abby nodded and took off her lab coat, exchanging it for the lightweight cloak that hung by her CD player. "Don't worry, Timmy. We'll catch him."

McGee waited until they were outside and heading for the coffee shop before responding.

"I'm not worried about catching him. I'm worried somebody else might die first." He lowered his voice. "It takes a really sick mind to go after us by going after people who resemble us and have us investigate their deaths. And it's probably setting us up for something." He hesitated. "The submariner looks like Kate. The boxer has a background like Vance. The cryptographer went to the same school as me."

"That's it! We figure out who else might be targeted in the area bases and warn them."

McGee hated to be the one to wipe the grin off her face. "Look at it another way. The submariner looks like Kate, but doesn't have anything else in common with her. The sub story was one case eight years ago. The boxer and the cryptographer don't look anything like Vance or me. What criteria is the guy using? Pretty much every NROTC student at MIT becomes a Navy geek — do we warn all of them? Every boxer in the Corps?" He opened the coffee shop door for her.

"It can't hurt, McGee." She stepped to the cash register and they placed the order — medium roast for the director, cafe au lait with two shots for McGee and a Caf-Pow for Abby. While they waited for McGee's drink, they stepped over to the pick-up counter.

"Abbs, that's going backwards," McGee kept his voice low. "Think about it — he's hit three people on the team. There are eight of us, nine with Kate. He's more likely to go after one of the other six. And until we figure out what criteria he's using, we don't know who to warn."

Abby didn't actually have a response for that one, and McGee used the lull to scan the shop. He saw some faces he recognized — a few of the agents in Legal were eating over in the corner, and McGee realized it was lunchtime already. None of the customers there were in the shop the last time he thought he was being watched, though, so he relaxed.

"Here you go, McGee," said the barista.

"Thanks, Chris," McGee said, taking the drink in his free hand. "Come on, Abbs, back to work."

They headed out, Abby still strangely silent.

"Abbs?"

"So we just have to sit and wait to see who he kills next?" Her voice trembled.

"Have you traced his calling card yet?"

She shook her head. "The company that makes those is a Christian company that specializes in pocket charms. They sell them in bulk all the time by mail-order, so most of their purchases are large ones. I did a little hacking and I've got a list of a dozen stores between Annapolis and Little Creek that have placed large orders of the hearts in the last six weeks, and another six individual purchasers who placed bulk orders. But there are three or four dozen churches who ordered them, and some of the megachurches ordered thousands. I went to the website of one of them and they were doing an outreach program around Valentine's Day to have each member pass out hearts to people they thought could benefit from God's love. That one church ordered 60,000 of the hearts.

McGee groaned. "With that many, somebody at the church helping with the program could have siphoned off the ones he needed without anybody noticing."

"I'll send you and the others the list of the individuals who ordered, and the stores. But until we have a suspect list, there's no good way to run down all the ones that went out to the churches." Abby slurped the straw.

"Abbs, you just got that." McGee rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, the bullpen's got too many people in it for somebody to try something. Go hang out there while I brief the director. Then we'll head back to the lab."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~ **

At the crime scene, Ducky swallowed as he looked at the body. "My dear, you do remind me of a good friend." He started his examination, barely noticing that even Mr. Palmer was quiet. It wasn't until a glint of light at her throat caught his eye that he noticed the thin chain around her neck.

"Agent Dorneget, please document this." Ducky waited until the rookie agent was shooting pictures and shifted the lieutenant's collar slightly to reveal a silver Star of David.

"Whatcha got, Duck." Gibbs squatted next to him.

"Our young submariner might resemble Caitlin in physically, but she is not a complete match." He pointed to the necklace. "Here you have a killer who is trying to mimic a selection of people. He obviously can't select people with the same occupation, as there are only a relatively few NCIS agents. So he is instead using those over whom you have jurisdiction, ensuring you will be the ones to investigate them. Additionally, he is sending a message with these deaths. He is making sure you recognize that they are connected, and that they are imitations of your team. His first kill was the one person on the team who can most easily be duplicated — Timothy's skills are what he is known for, and those skills are valued by the Navy, so there are many people similar enough to him."

"And the boxer?"

"Again, a fairly superficial resemblance, and one that is more common than not. I wager that if you check the Marine boxing rosters at the various bases, you will find a large portion of those Marines have inner-city backgrounds. The Sweet Science is not often taught in suburban and rural areas these days. It is the province of cities, and of the rough neighborhoods in those cities at that."

"What's your point, Duck?" Gibbs frowned.

"This third body is quite different. I could speculate that our killer saw the physical resemblance and decided that was the correct message to send, one we could not overlook. But as Anthony pointed out when he briefed me, our young lieutenant's occupation has a connection with Caitlin as well, and one too unusual to be a coincidence."

"You saying she's involved in this, Duck?" Gibbs straightened up, his knee popping.

Ducky stood as well. "Quite the contrary, Jethro. I believe her appearance and her occupation are indeed a coincidence. But the fact that our killer noticed and acted upon it is not. He did not kill a woman who resembles Caitlin, and get lucky that her occupation was such to remind us of her. He specifically targeted her because he knew the combination of the two would send a message, a powerful one." Ducky paused to make sure Gibbs was listening. "If you and your team can determine how he selected our young lieutenant, you will be much closer to finding him and to figuring out what selection process he is using."

"Thanks, Duck."

As he and young Mr. Palmer packed the body to transport to the Yard, he saw Gibbs herding his team, Dorneget and the evidence into the truck.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Vance had a pile of personnel files on the conference table when McGee entered, coffee in hand.

"What have you and Scuito learned?" He listened as McGee briefed him.

"Director, this doesn't make any sense. The order of the bodies is all wrong, and the timing is weird."

Vance motioned for him to sit. "Explain."

"So far he's killed three people. The first one resembles me. That makes some sense — out of everybody, only Ziva joined the team after I did. The second person was you. If you go by when you took the director's chair, you're even newer to the team than I am. If you go by when you first met Gibbs, you probably predate everybody, except maybe Ducky."

Vance nodded, curious to see where McGee was going with this.

"But this latest body breaks the pattern. Kate joined the team not long before I did. So you could argue he's working backward and Tony is next. But then we should have had a Ziva lookalike before me, and we should have had a Jimmy lookalike before today's body."

Vance thought for a second. "He might not consider Mr. Palmer part of the team."

"But Ziva definitely is. And if he's watching us closely enough to know about Kate and the sub trip, he has to know Ziva's NCIS, not Mossad."

"Point taken, Agent McGee." Vance thought about that. "And your question about the timing?"

"Why now?" McGee hesitated. "Three bodies right in succession should mean this guy is just getting started. But Tony was right this morning — that story about Kate and the sub is an old one. If this guy has been watching us long enough to have heard that when the story was making the rounds, why wait until now to start?"

"Unless he's escalating." Vance stilled. "Could he have been killing people for the past eight years without anybody noticing?"

"Abby would remember if these hearts had been on any other bodies, I think." McGee didn't wait for a response, he punched a number on his phone.

"Abbs, have you seen those hearts on any other case in the past? As far back as when Kate joined the team." He paused. "Thanks. Be down in a minute." McGee tucked his phone away. "Abby said she doesn't remember, but she's going to run a check through the evidence logs just in case."

Vance nodded. "I'm going to put out a general alert to the commanders of area bases and the security forces to let them know we have a killer on the loose targeting Navy and Marines to they can tighten up on security. I know your team won't go home until this one's solved, but no sleeping in the bullpen. I'm going to increase the security around the lab, since Miss Scuito is the one who most often works alone, and I'll get some cots and blankets sent down there. Until this is solved, you and your team stay together. If Gibbs hasn't killed or scared Dorneget, he's on TAD with your team so you can split into four pairs if needed."

McGee nodded. "I'll let Abby and Gibbs know." He got up to leave.

"McGee, be careful. If he decides to switch to the team instead of stand-ins, and if he follows the same order-"

"I'm first on the list. Yes, sir." McGee gave a brief nod and left.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

I have the next installment in my plan ready, and I will execute it tonight. Execute him tonight. I have been watching and preparing for him for many months. Today's kill showed them just how well I know them. They will not know who to trust because of this. Tonight's kill will show them my power. The one after that, my skill. The next, my reach. And then it begins. While they are distracted by my first hit on their team, I will act swiftly. In two weeks, I will have done what my hero could not. The few left alive will never forget my name. Especially not the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs.


	12. Chapter 11

**AN: **Slight delay this week because FF was being hinky. :P Anybody figured out who Creepy Killer's hero is? Or who Creepy Killer is? Or have we even been introduced to Creepy Killer yet...?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

Ziva led the way to the lab, Dorneget trailing behind her. As she walked into the lab, a new red light in the corner caught her eye and she stopped.

"The director installed more security," Abby said. "Where are the others?"

"Tony and Gibbs are in the bullpen, and I believe Ducky and Jimmy are in autopsy." Ziva placed the box of evidence she carried on the steel table. "Should they be someplace else?"

Abby reached for the evidence log and signed as McGee dialed his phone.

"Boss, we need you and Tony down here." He hung up and called Ducky with the same message.

"McGee, what is wrong? Did you discover something?" Ziva crossed her arms.

"Maybe." He frowned. "But let's wait for everybody." He turned to the probie. "Dorneget, you too."

Ziva waited until the others had gathered.

"McGee, give us the spoon."

Tony snorted. "Scoop, Ziva."

"Spoon, scoop, whatever. Tell us what is going on."

McGee went through everything he, Abby and the director had discovered. Gibbs was silent until he finished.

"Good work, McGee. Dorneget, you're with Abby as protection detail. Need McGee in the bullpen. Duck, I need a psych profile on this guy ASAP, especially whatever triggers him."

"Certainly. Mr. Palmer is quite capable of handling the physical autopsy, while I will focus on the one of the mind." The medical examiner and his assistant left.

"Abbs, start with the gun in this case; that will give us something to try and link the body to a suspect."

"Will do, Bossman. Come on, Dorney."

Gibbs walked out of the lab, and Ziva followed, Tony and McGee right behind her.

"Gibbs, I did not know that sub story until today, and I profiled all of you for Ari." She waited until they were in the elevator before continuing. "If I had not heard it, even as a member of this team, then it is unlikely others in the agency have heard it."

"Unless they worked here when it happened," Tony said. "Kate and I kidded each other about it for a couple of weeks."

"That still doesn't explain the timing, but it might help us narrow down our suspects list," McGee said. "I'll focus on employees who started at this NCIS office before that case."

"Don't forget to check all the way back, Tim." Tony sighed. "Paula pulled duty here after her Agent Afloat stint before the Pentagon team came open, remember? And Balboa had the Pentagon team your first two years here before he came back to lead a team around the time Gibbs went on his margarita safari."

"Boss, that could explain the timing." McGee frowned. "Maybe this is somebody with a grudge from a while back who just got reassigned to the Navy Yard. Now that they're back, they're starting to take people out."

Gibbs nodded. "DiNozzo, help McGee with that. Ziva, we're going to interview the admiral about his daughter."

She nodded. "Perhaps he can give us some intel that will help narrow down the link in the Navy Yard."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

That evening, Tony yawned and stretched his arms, almost whacking the bags of Chinese food Dorneget and McGee carried.

"Come on, Gibbs wants us in Abby's lab." McGee dropped his coat on his chair.

"We are eating down there, yes?" Ziva got up, rubbing her eyes. "You are bringing the food?"

McGee didn't reply, just headed for the back elevator. Tony brought up the rear, file folder in hand.

"Any luck?" McGee asked as they rode down three floors.

Tony shook his head. "Sure, we've got names. Lots of them. But nothing that makes me go 'Oh, you're the bastard who hates us and is taking out people who look like us.'"

"We are missing something," Ziva said.

"Well, yeah, Ziva. We are. We don't know why somebody's trying to kill us this time."

"Th- This time?" Dorneget stuttered and Tony couldn't help but remember when Probie was that green.

"You haven't heard the stories, Dorneget?" Tony's laugh held no mirth. "It happens more than you'd think."

Dorneget still hadn't replied to that when they walked into the lab.

"What's the news, Boss?"

"You're not going to like this, Tony." Abby had her arms wrapped around her torso, like she was hugging herself. "Really, really not going to like this."

"Spill, Abby. No mu-shu pork until you do." Tony reached into the bags McGee and Dorneget had set on the table and held up a paper container.

"The gun links to a cold case. The bullet's a match. And it was another head shot."

Tony set down the container. "Let me guess, this one looks like me."

Abby shook her head, pigtails flailing. "No, it's another Navy geek. Sorry, McGee."

Tony lifted an eyebrow. "And another head shot." He scanned the room. "Abbs, you'd better watch it. Ari tried to get McGee before he killed Kate, remember."

He didn't think it was possible for Abby to get paler, but she managed. "And he shot into the lab first."

"Yeah." Tony walked over and tugged a pigtail. "If he's sticking to pattern, we need to figure out what the Navy or Marine equivalent of our favorite Goth is."

"Timing." Gibbs pointed to the plasma. "Case is really cold."

Tony headed over, and wasn't surprised when Ziva and McGee joined him.

"That was more than four years ago," Ziva said. "Why did we not investigate it?"

"Because we were in the middle of hell." McGee stepped up and pointed to the date on the file. "Remember the Chimera?"

Tony shuddered. "I've been trying to forget that ship ever since we got off of it."

"Boss, this doesn't make sense." McPuzzled started pacing. "One case from four years ago and then nothing until a few days ago?"

Tony turned away from the screen. "Abbs, did the old case have our guy's signature?"

She shrugged. "I don't see any mention in the electronic file, but I'm going to have to wait until we can get the actual evidence box from archives to be sure. I can't even interview the lead case agent — Jim Williams worked this one and he had an incapacitating stroke a year ago, went out on medical."

"Other agents?" Gibbs looked at her.

"Kensi Blye, but I already checked with Eric and she's on a deep undercover mission that only Hetty knows details about. Hetty was going to talk to Vance, but it sounded like we're going to have to wait a couple of days." Abby frowned.

"At the rate this guy's going, we might not have two days." Tony joined McPacer's loops around the room. "But why the four-year gap?"

"I've got a better question," McGee said. "What if there is no gap? What if there are other cases that we don't know about?"

Tony suddenly lost his appetite. "Well, shit." He walked over to Dorneget. "Come on, Dorney. We're going evidence hunting. Abbs, pull a list of all cold murder cases since Gibbs became team lead and send them to my phone. All teams in the Capitol region." He headed out, the probie right behind him.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs looked around the lab at the two remaining agents. "Eat. Got to keep your strength up."

"You, too, Bossman." Abby stepped in front of him. "And no solo coffee runs. Eat first, then you and McGee go get coffee."

"Is that a wise decision?" Ziva hesitated. "If we are right, two of the four bodies have been McGee lookalikes. Perhaps he would be safer here."

"Or maybe this SOB's filled his geek quota and the rest of you are in more danger," McGee retorted. "Besides, he's taking out people he thinks are like us, not us."

"Yes, that has been his method so far. But as Tony pointed out, he is escalating. If we are his goal, will he not eventually focus his attentions on us as individuals?"

Gibbs frowned. "You three come up with any possibilities?"

Ziva shook her head. "Tony's list is here, but it is no longer accurate."

"We were focusing on people who had been here during Kate's first year on the team and are here now," McGee said. "But now we need to go through and narrow that down to people who also were here four years ago."

Gibbs took the list and looked, then held it further away until the print came into focus. Sort of. He didn't recognize most of the names. "That what your gut's telling you to do, McGee?"

"My gut's telling me if we could figure out why this guy's doing this and how he's picking his victims, we'd be a lot closer." McGee pointed at the folder. "We've got enough offices in this region that it doesn't have to be somebody at the Navy Yard. The only specific knowledge we know of that's making us think it's somebody close is the sub connection with Kate, but that story spread around. I heard two sailors talking about it at Norfolk after the Philadelphia returned to port after that exercise. Everybody on that sub crew knew there was a female NCIS agent on board."

Gibbs growled. "McGee, with me." He stalked out, not waiting for the younger agent to answer.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Forensic Scientist Abigail Scuito. Of all the ones I watch, Abby is the most difficult. There are too many others who watch her, too many who have wanted to take my job as her killer. I have watched her longer than any of the others, except for the great and powerful Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I have gotten closest to her because she lets me. She goes places I can go and be seen, crowded clubs and concerts. She helped me find my next target one of those nights, and it is through that I will have success tonight. I have to be more cautious with the others. She brings them from time to time. She is a little sister to Agent DiNozzo, a friend to Agent David. Past lover to Agent McGee, and somebody he would let use him in that way again. She does not lead him on, though, and that is the only reason she is not first on my list. When I get to that part of my list. She will be almost the last one on it, the one that puts me on par with my hero. But there are many more to come before that. My mother always said I had to eat my vegetables first. Three more to go before I get to the meat of this plan. They will already be watching for me by then. But they will not be looking in the right places. They will not understand my game until I have started on dessert, and my first bite will show them just how skilled I have become. By then, it will be too late.


	13. Chapter 12

_**AN:** Sorry for the delay. I was out of town, then hurt my foot by tripping and falling on my face 10 minutes after meeting a work colleague in person for the first time. *Great* first impression. Foot's still swollen and bruised four days later, but slowly getting better. It's slowed me down a lot, though, which is why I'm just getting to posting this. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Once in the elevator, Gibbs hit the emergency stop. "Talk, Tim."

McGee's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Boss?"

Gibbs just looked at him, waiting to see what the agent's big brain would spit out.

"You and Tony have more experience with serials, but there has to be some internal consistency to this guy's actions. It might be nuts to us, but it makes sense to him. If we could figure out how his signature and him targeting us fit together, that might help." McGee shoved his hands in his pockets. "And if we can find all his bodies, we might be able to figure out the common vector among his victims. The Navy Yard looked promising until we couldn't link the boxer."

Gibbs nodded. "Thoughts?"

"The heart. That can't be the victims — if they were all women or all men or all one physical type, we could guess he was getting revenge on a former lover or stalking people that reminded the killer of somebody."

"Us?"

"It could be an angry ex, or somebody angry at us for putting away a boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse." McGee hesitated. "I've got my fair share of psycho exes, and two of the four bodies represent me."

Gibbs smacked his head. "Think, McGee." He waited, but when McGee didn't say anything, he explained. "When DiNozzo's exes hate him, they target him — not the team." He could almost see the tension leave McGee's shoulders. "Even when my ex-wives hated the time the job took, they didn't brain the team with a seven-iron. Just me."

"So we can't eliminate that, but it's less likely." McGee nodded. "I'll start pulling cases where spouses and significant others still have DOD clearances. Base access is a big piece of this one."

Gibbs gave a brief nod, turned the elevator back on. Once in the squadroom, he decided to let McGee get his search-thingy running, then they were getting coffee.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony looked at the six carts of evidence boxes and groaned.

"Agent DiNozzo?" Dorney looked at him.

"Come on, Dorneget. Time to experience your first official Leroy Jethro Gibbs all-nighter." Tony wheeled two carts outside the locked archives and waited for Dorneget to exit before punching in his security code to lock up. He'd been skeptical when Vance had replaced the guard on the archives with cameras and a key code lock, but it was coming in handy this time. Nobody would know they were taking out so many files unless they actually saw them with the boxes. Only the security guards would know from seeing the tape, and they all knew Gibbs and Tony's obsession with the job too well to think this was weird.

"Where are we taking them?" Dorney looked confused. "There's not enough room in the bullpen unless we just keep walking around them."

Tony shook his head. "Abby's lab. We can store them in ballistics and work on the table in her office."

Dorneget nodded and followed along. When they wheeled the carts in, Abby and Ziva were just finishing up their food.

"Ziva, can you start reviewing the files while we bring the others up?" Tony almost smiled at the furrow in her brow.

"The others?"

"Four more carts." He grinned, the showy smile that said nothing.

"This will be like finding a pin in a hay pile." Ziva threw up her hands.

"It's needle in a haystack, and yes, yes it will. But since none of us wants to wind up dead, we need to find however many needles are hiding in this particular haystack." Tony tipped his head, cracked his neck. "Come on, Dorneget."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

McGee punched in the last of the search parameters, then forced his shoulders back down from where they had crunched up around his ears. They needed to find this guy — fast — and he couldn't afford to let tension suck out all his energy.

"McGee, coffee." Gibbs stood in front of his desk.

"Boss?" Usually Gibbs would be halfway to the elevator by now.

"With me, McGee."

McGee felt like headslapping himself. Right. Nobody goes solo. "Coming, Boss." Once in the elevator, he couldn't stop himself from thinking out loud. "There has to be something we're missing. Those hearts he's leaving are just odd enough that Abby would have noticed if they kept turning up on cases."

Gibbs didn't say anything, so McGee kept going.

"But serials don't change their signature, usually."

"Method." Gibbs lifted an eyebrow.

"Right, they usually keep the same method, too. This guy isn't. Why not?" McGee wasn't really asking the team leader. "In three of the deaths, the cause of death was as much a pointer to who he was targeting as the victim. So maybe-" He broke off as the doors opened on the ground floor, two of the intelligence analysts waiting there.

McGee nodded at the one he didn't know. "Hey, Nikki." McGee figured he'd better hold up the pleasantries for both of them.

"Hi, McGee. Agent Gibbs." The germ-phobic intel analyst waited until they had stepped off the elevator before moving toward it. "You're working late."

"So are you." McGee was glad Vance hadn't assigned her to them as a TAD — this case was too messy.

"Middle East desk. This is their daytime, so for the next several weeks, it's mine, too." She stepped inside the elevator before the doors could close, the other agent right behind her. McGee recognized him from the coffee shop the other night.

As they stepped outside, McGee could see the glow from the stadium in the sky. A quick time check and he sighed with relief. "Game won't be over for a bit, no crowd at the coffee shop."

Gibbs just grunted. McGee hesitated. "Boss, every time we get a new body, we keep widening our search field. But with four data points — four bodies — we should have been able to start narrowing it by now."

"Ya think." Gibbs started walking faster. "Bastard's good."

"He'd have to be, if he's going to taunt us." McGee wasn't even conscious of speaking out loud. "We know he's targeting us, and he knows us well. And if he knows us that well, he's seen how you get when there's a hot case."

"Obsessive and demanding?" The Marine walking toward them grinned. "Gunny, you never change, do you?"

"I do what works, Colonel." Gibbs shook the officer's hand. "Colonel Jenkins, this is Agent McGee."

"McGee?" The colonel looked at McGee. "The admiral's son?"

McGee nodded, years of practice letting him hide the automatic wince. "Yes, sir."

"I served a tour with your father before they drydocked me here. No wonder the gunny hasn't scared you off yet."

McGee nodded. "There are some similarities, yes." He didn't want to get into them, but they were there. "Did you serve with Agent Gibbs, sir?"

"Beirut, then Colombia," Jenkins said. "One of the best snipers in the Corps when he served."

McGee grinned. "He's still the best marksman in NCIS."

"McGee."

At Gibbs' growl, the colonel grinned. "Gunny never was one for small talk. Nice meeting you, McGee." He continued past them.

When the got to the coffee shop, it was quiet, just a couple of people in there, stacks of paperwork in front of them. McGee rattled off the order for the entire team, plus a second black coffee with two shots for Gibbs, but the team leader stopped him when he took out his wallet.

"I've got it." Gibbs handed over the money to the girl behind the counter. McGee recognized her as the flake from the other day. He'd worry, but Aaron was working and the barista made note of Dorneget's medium roast with room for cream, the one difference from their usual team order.

"Long night, McGee?" Aaron said as he started brewing espresso and steaming milk.

"You have no idea." McGee rubbed his forehead. "Pretty sure we're going to be back here in a few hours."

Aaron shook his head and lowered his voice. "I would not want your job, especially not when Agent Gibbs is mainlining caffeine."

McGee shrugged. "You get used to it."

Aaron glanced over at him. "If you say so." He finished building Tony's hazelnut mocha. "I'm just glad I won't be here on your next run."

"Your shift almost over?"

He nodded. "Yeah. So I get to referee a fight between my sister and our mother." He rolled his eyes. "Last time I did that, I ended up with a black eye."

McGee lifted an eyebrow. "Younger sister?"

"Older. She'll be 40 next week." He rolled his eyes. "You got sisters, McGee?"

"One, but she's younger. And she fights with words, not fists."

"Oh, the shouting's going on now. I'll get there just in time to wade in and break it up." He passed over McGee's latte, then Ziva's tea. "Who's the medium roast for?"

"A probie who's helping us on this case." McGee started fitting the cups into the carrier Aaron put on the counter before pulling the plain coffees. "You'll probably run into him at some point this week — I don't think we're going to close this one quickly."

Aaron grimaced. "Thanks for the warning." He lowered his voice. "I'll spread the word — extra shots in Gibbs' coffee."

McGee snorted. "Gee, thanks."

He took the coffee and looked around for Gibbs, to find him speaking with a master chief petty officer sitting by the windows. McGee walked over, coffee trays stacked on top of each other. Gibbs lifted the top one off,

"Nice to see you again, Master Chief."

"Likewise, Gunny." The sailor nodded at McGee, then went back to his books.

Gibbs headed to the counter for his second coffee, which didn't fit in the trays, then followed McGee out the door.

They headed back to the NCIS building in silence. McGee scanned their surroundings, but except for more cars than usual, things appeared fine. And the cars were probably sailors and Marines who were at the ball game. He and Tony had done the same thing a few times when they'd gone to games, just to avoid the hassles and costs of the alternatives.

"You think we can find him before he kills again?" McGee ventured the question that had been on his mind all evening.

"For all we know, he already has." Gibbs' tone was just shy of a growl.

McGee didn't reply until he had managed to swipe his key card and open the door carrying the tray of drinks.

"Oh, Lord." Sam, one of the security guards, blanched. "If all that coffee's for Gibbs, we're in trouble."

"Just two of them," McGee said.

"An all-nighter, huh?" Sam let them pass through. "I'll warn Thurman to steer clear."

McGee smirked at the idea of the night janitor hiding from Gibbs, but was surprised to see a similar smirk on Gibbs' face when they got in the elevator.

"Check your search-thingy, then we'll head to the lab." Gibbs elbowed the right button on the panel.

McGee shook his head. "It'll hit my phone when the results come in, Boss. Must still be running."

Gibbs just nodded and led the way to Abby's lab. They walked in to find files everywhere and complete chaos — even by Abby's standards.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

This is my favorite part. Lying in wait, my target almost upon me. This one will give them more clues, but it will not be enough. I like the dark. They can't find me in the dark. If they can't find me, they can't mock me. She can't mock me. When this is done, when the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs has tried and failed to catch me, I will disappear into the dark of night, content to let my legend live — the way my hero's could not. I could help things along, could hand them another piece of the puzzle. But the time for that has not yet come. I will save that for my first main strike. Just two days from now. Two deaths from now. Two victories from now.


	14. Chapter 13

_**AN: **After a smushy T2 diversion yesterday with Oblivious, I'm back to Patience with the newest development in the Creepy Killer case. It's about to go from bad to worse for our team... _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

Ziva yawned as she closed another file, marking it off the master list. No pewter hearts. "This is like that time we were sorting fingerprints, yes?" She looked around at the team, sitting throughout the lab.

"Don't remind me." McGee groaned. He waved one gloved hand, his solution to avoiding paper cuts. "We're missing something to narrow down this search."

"Well, yeah, Mc-"

But Gibbs' phone ring cut Tony off and they all turned to look at the team leader.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He listened, then disconnected. "Sonofabitch."

"Boss?" Tony was the first to ask.

"Dead SEAL, on the Yard."

"Wait, somebody killed a SEAL?" McGee's eyes widened.

"Name was Ari Rosenbaum." Gibbs stood. "Ziva, you're the one staying with Abby this time. Rest of you, gear up."

Ziva cursed in Hebrew, but could not argue with Gibbs.

"Boss, this guy's changing things up again. Why get Jewish and special ops right but not- Never mind." McGee smacked himself on the back of the head.

"Huh?" Dorneget asked.

"In the U.S., women are not allowed to serve as special operations forces," Ziva said. "Despite having served as Kidon when I was with Mossad, I would not be allowed to train as a SEAL now that I am an American."

"Boss, is this guy active duty?" Tony asked.

"Team Six. MPs think he was here at a game." Gibbs turned and started to walk out.

"Hell. On your six, Boss." Tony followed, McGee and Dorneget not far behind.

Ziva turned to Abby. "Seal Team Six-"

Abby nodded. "The ones that killed bin Laden. When word gets out that somebody killed one of those guys while he was on liberty, the Navy Yard's going to be flooded with reporters."

"And we know how much Gibbs likes dealing with reporters." She looked at the clock. 2147. "Abby, we must find this connection before they return. We are rapidly running out of time."

"Yeah, I know. But this guy has me stumped. I mean, yeah, now thinking to look for special ops troops to represent you makes sense, but I still don't know who you'd pick for Tony. And Gibbs? I mean, he was a sniper and a gunny and a DI and plain old infantry and when you put all that together, you get a lot of Marines. I mean, a whole lot of Marines." Abby twisted her hands together.

"Wait." Ziva thought for a second. "This person, he killed somebody who reminded us of Kate, yes?"

Abby nodded, her pigtails bouncing.

"And now he has killed somebody designed to resemble me, yes?"

Abby nodded again.

Ziva picked her words carefully. "We have had a number of female agents die over the years, such as Agent Lee. Perhaps if we start by looking at the female deaths, we can find some similarities that would let us narrow things down. Perhaps a JAG for Lee, as an example."

Abby jumped up. "And that I can do by computer so we can do it fast — come on!"

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony followed Gibbs as they walked to the scene, while McGee and Dorneget drove the truck two parkings lots over to where the SEAL had died. The MPs had cordoned off the scene.

"Fill me in, Sergeant," Gibbs said.

"Yes, sir." The MP straightened up even more. "We saw him while making our rounds. We knew right away he was dead, so we called over to your office right away. His ID was laying on top of his body, so we passed along that information."

Tony looked past the MP to see the white military ID laying in the center of the man's chest. He saw something glinting in the light. "Boss, I think I see the signature." He moved past the MP and crouched next to the body, where a few metal hearts reflected the streetlights.

As Gibbs continued to question the MP, Tony snapped photos of the scene, then examined the body. No bullet holes that he could see. Some light bruising on his face, barely enough to see. His cause of death wasn't readily visible, but the bruising probably meant he'd fought his attacker. Anybody who could take on a SEAL and win...

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Abby jumped as her computer beeped. "Ziva, I've got a list." She sent the casefiles to the plasma on the wall, then joined Ziva in front of it.

"There are several," Ziva said, looking at the overlapping files. "Are any of them JAG?"

Abby moved back to her keyboard and tapped a few keys. The files vanished from the screen. "None."

"Asian?"

Abby tweaked the search parameters. "No." She popped the entire set of files back up. "What are some other uncommon elements we can use to narrow this down?"

"What about that one, Miss Scuito?" Vance's voice came from behind them.

"Director?" Abby turned her head so fast she smacked her own face with a pigtail.

He walked over to the computer and removed all but one of the files. "She's a redheaded MP who died in a fire."

"But Director Shepard was shot in a diner," Abby said.

"But nobody knows that except for us." Ziva pointed to the file. "Remember? Gibbs and Mike burned her house to cover up what really happened."

Abby bit her lip. "But we didn't find any hearts there."

"Could they have been destroyed in the fire?" Ziva asked.

Abby thought for a second. "Pewter has a fairly low melting point, between 338 and 446 degrees, depending on the composition of the metals it's combined with." She moved over to Major Mass Spec's computer. "Based on the ones we've found, the hearts would melt at about 412 degrees. Fires usually burn several times hotter than that, so it would be enough to melt the hearts."

"So this body could be part of our killer's string and we didn't realize it." Ziva said. "But that means-"

"That the other two MPs we linked it to are also part of this." Abby frowned. "But they didn't have the hearts. Is he changing his signature?"

"Unlikely, Miss Scuito." Vance pulled out a toothpick and stuck it in his mouth. "Walk me through how you linked the three bodies again."

Abby nodded. "The first one, well the second one that we discovered, but the first one chronologically, was another MP killed with a shovel to the head. The sharpshooter, remember? That's how we linked them, through the MO."

"Abby, who does the first one represent, if the one from last week is Jenny?" Ziva frowned as she looked at the screen where the three cases were on display.

Abby looked at the case file and tried to remember. "Well, we haven't had any blonde agents assigned to the team permanently." She thought for a second. "Agent Macy was blonde, and she's an MP. But she never served with us, and if this killer managed to connect her to us, he knows a lot more than we think he does. Like a whole lot more, because that means he knows-" She realized she was about to say too much. "Um, yeah, he knows more than he should."

"Who was on the team before Kate?" Ziva asked. "Was it another woman?"

Abby nodded. "Viv." She made a face. "She wasn't very good. And she wasn't a blonde."

"Agent Cassidy." Ziva turned and looked at Abby. "She had hair like this, blonde and curly."

"Agent Cassidy was never a member of Gibbs' team." Vance crossed his arms.

Abby shook her head. "She spent a week TAD with us after Kate died before Ziva joined the team. She almost got her head bashed in by a psycho."

"Bashed in with what, Abby?" Ziva asked.

Abby's eyes widened. "With a shovel."

Vance's toothpick snapped in half. He tossed both ends in the trash. "Agent Cassidy and Director Shepard were both field agents for their career." He looked at the two case files. "This sonofabitch killed MPs to represent them."

"Tony!" Abby fumbled for the keyboard. "The third MP dead, the one we thought was connected. The womanizing MP."

"That is Tony, indeed," Ziva said.

"Let me get this straight. We now have a string of eight bodies we can link to this killer. The represent Agents Cassidy, DiNozzo, McGee, Todd and David, plus myself and Director Shepard." Vance fell silent.

"And a second one for Timmy," Abby said. "McGee's been hit twice."

"Gibbs, Dr. Mallard and Mr. Palmer have not been hit at all." Vance stared at the screen. "Miss Scuito, who else has served on the team?"

"Just Michelle Lee and Keating. That's it," she said. "No, wait. You had Dwayne Wilson TAD for the Quantico case. And Nikki Jardine worked a few cases with us the last year Director Shepard was in charge."

Vance nodded. "I'm going to alert those three agents, Keating, Wilson and Jardine, to be on alert. Until we know what we're dealing with, they're all targets. Miss Scuito, you and the other team members who haven't been hit yet also should be on high alert." He paused. "Run a search for all MPs who fit the description of any of the agents in question. Also gunnery sergeants who fit Gibbs' description and naval medical personnel who could be considered standins for either Dr. Mallard or Mr. Palmer."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Ducky Mallard. He has become much easier to track since he moved a few months ago. No more of those damned dogs. He is the only one, now that Agent McGee has rid himself of that beast, to have an animal. Like Director Vance, he used to have lots of space around his home. Watching him was the most difficult of all, and I am ashamed to say I put it off far longer than I should have. Once I did move, though, I was able to actually enter his home, get his mother to show me around. A few times, I heard her mentioning my visits to Ducky, but he always thought they were her mind going, like so many of her stories. I have a special death planned for him, one that he himself provided the resources for. One that will be a fitting end to my revenge. One that will haunt the arrogant Leroy Jethro Gibbs until his own death.


	15. Chapter 14

_**AN: **Finally got back over to this story today, after a weekend detour in NCIS:LA fic. I still have to polish my original piece for tonight's open mic for my writer's group, but enough of you were asking about the next chapter of this that I figured I'd better do this first. :) My plot bunnies need their own personal organizer. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

McGee left Dorneget unloading the crime scene equipment and joined Tony at the body to start bagging and tagging.

"It's our guy, isn't it?" He could tell by the look on the senior field agent's face.

Tony pointed to the metal hearts on the ground. "Who takes out a SEAL?"

McGee looked over at Gibbs, still talking to the MPs. "I don't know, but we'd better get everything else bagged and tagged so as soon as Ducky's done with the body we can be out of here before the game gets out."

Tony nodded and took half the numbered markers. He placed one next to the hip of the victim, then pointed to the guy's pocket. "Must have been at the game."

McGee nodded and called the stadium to get security footage. He put in a call to the front gate as well, gave both his email address. "That should be in my inbox when we get done here."

Tony nodded. "Let's finish up." The two agents tagged everything, then Tony shot photos of it as McGee started bagging the evidence.

"What can I do?" Dorneget stood a few feet from the body.

"Load up the van with the evidence," McGee said. "We need to be able to move quickly once Ducky-" He broke off as Jimmy pulled up and the two medical examiners got out of the truck.

"At least this time they didn't get lost," Tony muttered.

McGee snorted, then hid his smile.

"Ah, Jethro," Ducky said. "Such an-"

"Gotta move quick, Duck." Gibbs looked over. "TOD, examine, then get him back to Autopsy before the game ends. Gotta keep a lid on this."

Ducky nodded and bent over the body. McGee focused on getting the rest of the evidence labeled and back in the truck, along with Tony and Dorneget. There wasn't a lot, and McGee began to wonder if they would ever catch a break on this case.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs waited as Ducky and Palmer examined the body.

"TOD, Duck?"

"Between and hour and two hours, Jethro, but beyond that I'm unable to narrow that down." Ducky pointed to the front pocket of the SEAL's jeans. "That looks to be a ticket to a ballgame, so if Timothy can get footage from the stadium cameras, between that and the MP's information about when they discovered the body, you'll probably be able to narrow it down more."

"Why leave the game before it's over?" Palmer looked up. "If he was there, he must have liked baseball. Especially if he drove all the way up here from Little Creek."

"Good question, Palmer." Gibbs looked over at the stadium. "Gotta move, Duck, before we get a crowd of people over here."

Ducky pushed himself to standing. "I believe all the other work we need to do on our friend here can wait until we return him to Autopsy." He motioned to the van. "The gurney, Mr. Palmer."

Gibbs left them to it and joined the other men at the crime scene truck. "Everything in?"

McGee nodded. "We just finished."

"DiNozzo, you and Dorneget get this back to Abby and Ziva. McGee, get surveillance footage from the stadium, see when our SEAL left the game."

McGee nodded again. "Already on it, Boss. I'm getting the videos from the gates here, too, and the logs. If I look at who entered and left at the right times, we might be able to narrow this down."

Gibbs didn't bother replying. "DiNozzo, once you unload the evidence, you and Ziva come upstairs. We need to figure out how the hell this bastard managed to kill a SEAL on the Navy Yard. Dorneget can stay with Abby."

"On it, Boss."

They split into two pairs, Gibbs and McGee headed back to the NCIS building at a pace just short of a run.

**~NICS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

As they walked, McGee headed to his desk and pulled up the footage. He wasn't surprised when Gibbs moved behind him to watch over his shoulder, but tried to block out the team leader's presence and focus on the video. He could feel the intensity radiating off Gibbs — the man was pissed.

McGee started the stadium footage from the earliest point Ducky had mentioned for a TOD and started watching. "There he is." He pointed to the screen and noted the timestamp.

"2037," Gibbs said. "Not very far into the game."

"Third inning, maybe." McGee made a note on the pad on his desk. "Even the Nats don't get blown out badly enough that early that you'd leave the game."

"Not after a three-hour drive," Gibbs said. "He meeting somebody?"

McGee zoomed in. "He's talking on a cell." A few key taps had a search for the sailor's phone records running in the background. "Let me see where he goes." He switched among the tapes until he found footage of Rosenbaum heading into the Navy Yard. From there, he could use cameras on base to track him until he reached the parking lot where he'd died.

"Where'd he go, McGee?"

"Blind spot, Boss." McGee pulled up a plan for the Yard. "There are a few parking lots that aren't covered by the cameras, and that's one of them. Either our killer got lucky-"

"Or he or she planned this out to get our SEAL and we need to figure out how Rosenbaum ended up in this lot." McGee frowned and switched to the cell logs. "Looks like the call was to Rosenbaum, but it was a burn phone. Third call to him from that number this week."

Gibbs growled. "Victim or accomplice?"

McGee's hands faltered on the keys. "Would a SEAL help with this?"

"Rosenbaum's mother was Israeli. Maybe he has a grudge against Eli and he didn't realize Eli and Ziva aren't really on speaking terms."

Before McGee could figure out what to say to that, Gibbs' cell rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He paused. "Be right there, Duck." He looked over. "Come on, McGee."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Ducky looked up as McGee and Gibbs walked into Autopsy. "Our killer was a clever fellow, indeed, Jethro," he said. "In fact, he rather reminds me of a man I used to know when-"

"Duck, whatcha got."

"Ah, right." Ducky pointed to the man's arms. "Note the lack of defensive wounds. There are a few, but far fewer than I would expect from a sailor trained in special operations." He pointed at the eyes. "Also, despite the lateness of the hour, the man's pupils are rather small."

"Duck."

"Yes, well, I believe somebody drugged our SEAL and that impaired his ability to fight back." Ducky pointed to a mark on the jeans covering one knee. "Our killer likely subdued Lt. Rosenbaum from behind with ether or a similar substance, dropping him to his knees. Whatever he had previously been drugged with hampered his reflexes so that he couldn't fight back. Finally, our killer garroted him and left him for us to find."

He looked up to see Jethro examining the body.

"I've sent samples to Abby for toxicology, and once we get him open, I'll send the stomach contents to her for analysis. I would venture to guess that the first drug was administered at least an hour before the final attack." Ducky reached for the scalpel. "It will be a couple of hours before we know any more."

"Thanks, Duck." Gibbs stared at the body.

"Boss, if we can figure out where the first drug came from, we might be able to connect Rosenbaum and the person who called him." McGee paced. "That has to be where the drug came from, which makes Rosenbaum the victim."

"Or an accomplice that the killer needed to get rid of." Gibbs headed out the door., McGee following. "Thanks, Duck."

Ducky looked across the body at Jimmy. "We must work quickly, Mr. Palmer, before this madman goes after anybody else."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

I watched the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs at work this time. I selected the site for this death carefully, one where I could kill without being observed. And one where I could wait and watch, safe from discovery, as Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team tried to figure out what I had done and how. They are careful now, always in pairs. I noticed that earlier today. But that will not save them. My time is limited now. They will begin to close in before long. Now that this body is complete, I must head to my next mission, my next victim. One tomorrow, two more the next day. By that night, they will realize that they are next.


	16. Chapter 15

_**AN:**I really didn't mean to leave it this long between chapters, but things have been crazy lately. I'll try not to leave it too long before the next chapter. Don't want any of you hunting me down with pitchforks... _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

"Abbs, whatcha got?" Gibbs walked into the lab, McGee on his heels. Abby and Ziva were standing in front of the big plasma screen.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, this is bad. Like really bad, worse than when Ari was after us or my crazy stalker or when Sharif got you with the BZ gas or-" She didn't stop until Gibbs put a finger to her lips.

"OK, Abbs, we get it," McGee said. "What's so bad?"

"We do not have two serial killers, we have one." Ziva pointed to the cases on the screen. "The three dead MPs, they also are part of this. They represent Agent Cassidy, Tony and Jenny."

Gibbs stared at the pictures on the screen, remembering the two dead agents. He barely heard McGee's objections.

"But Cassidy was only with us for a week. Why kill her?" The agent started pacing. "Abby, are you sure?"

"It was the director who made the connection." Ziva spoke, then turned to the team leader. "Gibbs?"

"How many?" Gibbs looked at Abby.

"If we're right, eight." She chewed her lower lip. "Gibbs, he changed his signature between the first two and the others. That doesn't make sense."

Gibbs frowned. Abby was right. Before he could say anything else, DiNozzo and Dorneget walked in.

"Abbs, got some-" Tony broke off. "Whoa, what'd we miss?"

Gibbs let McGee explain, while he watched DiNozzo's face to see his reaction to the news that the killer included Cassidy in the team. But except for a tightening around the eyes, DiNozzo didn't let on.

"Well, crap." DiNozzo put the evidence box on the desk. "So are Abby, Ducky and Jimmy not included because they're not field agents, or because Creepy Killer Dude just hasn't gotten there yet?"

Abby twisted a pigtail around her fingers. "Vance is warning Jardine, Keating and Dwayne Wilson," she said. "If this psycho counted Cassidy, he might count them, too."

Gibbs nodded. "Dorneget, you stay here with Abby. Ziva, need you in the bullpen. We need to figure out who the hell this bastard is, fast."

**~NICS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony didn't say anything on the way up to the bullpen. His thoughts kept bouncing between Paula and Jenny, two women he couldn't protect. He swallowed, remembering the night Ari shot at Abby in the lab. The day Kate died right in front of him, her blood staining his face.

"Boss, we can't leave Abby down there alone." He knew his voice sounded desperate, but he didn't care if it meant Abby was alive. "What if-"

Gibbs smacked the back of his head. "He's not going to get her."

Tony crossed his arms and flipped the emergency switch. Ziva and McGee pressed themselves back against the walls. "Boss, we don't know who he is. We don't know why he's doing this, or how. You can't promise Abby's going to be safe."

Gibbs glared at him, but Tony refused to look away. Gibbs broke first, his eyes dropping.

"Faster we find him, safer she is." He looked up, and Tony saw something he'd rarely seen in Gibbs' expression — fear. "I'll get Leon to put extra guards down there, but need all of you working to figure this out."

Tony held Gibbs gaze, then nodded and flipped the switch. He didn't like this, didn't like anything about this case. But Gibbs was right.

When they returned to the bullpen, McGee put all the cases up on the plasma. Tony studied the case files, one hip on his desk. "We're missing something."

"Ya think?" Gibbs sat at his desk, casefiles stacked across the top of it.

Tony pointed to the file of the MP that represented him, and McGee pulled the other ones off the screen, blowing that one up.

"See anything?" McGee looked over from his desk.

Tony scanned the file, stopping a few lines from the bottom of the second page.

"Boss, I think I know..." His voice trailed off.

"What, DiNozzo?" Gibbs prompted.

"They thought this case was a jealous husband or boyfriend because the Polaroid had a heart on it," Tony said.

McGee looked over his computer monitor. "The photo was the signature. He switched from photos to metal charms, but his signature is a heart." The junior agent's fingers started tapping. "Boss, that idea about it being a spouse of somebody we jailed-"

Tony cut him off. "That can't be, McGuesser. This guy knew Paula had been on the team. He knew about Jenny. That's some serious intel. It has to be more than just somebody pissed off that we caught their sweetheart."

Ziva cleared her throat. "Perhaps we are looking at it backward." She paused. "Ari wanted to hurt Gibbs, so he went after those he cared about."

Tony tried to swallow, but couldn't manage it. "But-"

"Why not Jack?" McGee stood. "Boss, if this guy is trying to hurt those you care about, the people he thinks you love, why hasn't he gone after Jack? Or Abby and Ducky?"

Tony turned to look at Gibbs, who still sat in his chair, shoulders slumped.

The team leader shrugged. "He's a bastard."

But there was no intensity in Gibbs' voice. It wasn't right. Tony forced himself to swallow, to find his voice. "McGee's right. Gibbs might be the ultimate target, but it's not that simple. We're still missing something big."

Ziva nodded, but before she could speak, Gibbs' cell rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He stood as he listened, then disconnected. "Abby's lab. She's got something on our SEAL."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Abby didn't mind Dorney's presence, but she was glad he wasn't talking right now because this was bad. Really bad, like worse than even-

"Whatcha got, Abbs?" Gibbs walked in, the rest of the team following behind him.

"Gibbs, this is bad, I mean really bad. I mean, even worse than the really bad we thought it was when you were down here before because this, this is not going to-"

"Abbs, spit it out." Gibbs rested his hands on her shoulders, and she felt a little calmer. Sort of. Kind of. Well, not really. Because this was bad.

"Gibbs, our SEAL was going to die even if he wasn't killed." Abby pulled up the bloodwork results. "He had a triple dose of midazolam in his system, it's a benzodiazepine used for insomnia — and it's water-soluble, the only benzodiazepine that is. He also had a blood-alcohol level of .09, so between the drugs and the drinks, his reaction times were way slow — he would have wrecked his car for sure if he tried to drive back to base."

"Water-soluble?" McGee walked over to the plasma. "So somebody could have slipped it into his beer without him noticing?"

Abby nodded, her pigtails flying. "And then waited to ambush him in the parking lot."

"One of the vendors at the stadium?" Tony crossed his arms and went to stand by McGee. "But they wouldn't have been able to leave before the game was over."

"A team?" Ziva paced between the cooler and the door. "One to administer the sedative inside the game and another to lie in wait."

"That would explain why we can't find any common names on the base logs for the various cases," McGee said. "Two people working together."

"For six years?" Tony shook his head. "I'm not buying it. One of them would have slipped up by now."

"Maybe our mad killer just brought somebody in recently. Before, the bodies were spread out. Now we've got four in a couple of weeks. He's speeding up, maybe he needed some help." McGee frowned.

"Or maybe we're still missing something," Tony retorted.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Dorneget listened as the team discussed theories, bouncing around evidence.

"Um, guys." He fidgeted as he waited for somebody to hear him. "Guys?"

"Yeah, Dorney, what is it?" Tony looked over at him.

Dorneget fought not to turn red. "Maybe I'm missing something, but this guy's a serial killer, right?"

Gibbs glared at him, and Dorneget looked away before looking back.

"What is it?" McGee asked.

"Um, maybe it would be easier to start with serial killers you guys investigated who used a heart as a symbol." Dorneget looked at the team.

Tony's eyebrows furrowed, while McGee's eyes went wide. McGee looked over at Abby, who had turned even paler than normal. McGee, Abby and Tony spoke all at once.

"But he's dead."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tonight's victim will be easy to take out. That leaves me time to plan for tomorrow. It's the details that matter. Always the details. The smallest things, they tell me something about a person. They way they stand, their little routines and rituals. McGee checks his shoelaces right before he starts his morning run. Gibbs scans the street from his porch when he walks outside. Ziva David walks once around her car before she gets in, looking around the base and the wheel wells. Abby stops to pet the cat that hangs around her apartment building every time she goes in or out. Ducky Mallard washes the windows on his brownstone each Sunday morning. Palmer twists the doorknob once as he leaves for work, checking to be sure it's locked. Tony finishes his morning run with a three-block sprint every day. The director pauses when he gets out of his car at home in the evening, then walks up the path with a smile on his face. My first victim from the team likes to drive with the windows down in nice weather, fingers tapping to the beat of the music. I do hope it's good music tomorrow. Such a shame to ruin your last day on earth with bad music.


	17. Chapter 16

_AN: I'm really sorry for the long delay. Work got insane, I had an epiphany in novel revisions that means major rewrites and the darn CBS crossover got me hooked on Hawaii 5-0 and I had a few baby H50 bunnies I needed to write out of my system. Work and the novel are still going to be sucking up major time through June, but I'm hoping to get back to weekly updates. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

After McGee, Abby and Tony spoke, the lab was silent for a minute.

"Who is dead?" Ziva crossed her arms and looked at her teammates.

"Kyle Boone." Tony hesitated. "Nasty serial killer, really evil." He shuddered. "Boss was the one to catch him. But Virginia gave him the dirt nap the week before you joined the team. This can't be him."

"What about an accomplice?" Dorneget asked.

McGee shook his head. "He worked alone. He tried to train a follower, but Cassidy killed him the day before Boone was executed."

Ziva paced around the table, trying to organize her thoughts. "So that would explain why there was a Cassidy stand-in among the victims." She stopped and looked up at the plasma where Abby had all the information. "And she was the first of the victims we know about. Could Boone have had an admirer who was upset about that?"

She looked over at Tony, McGee and Gibbs, the ones left from that case.

"What about the reporter?" McGee said. "The one who was writing the book about Boone? We thought it was him at first."

Tony was already shaking his head. "He got his book, and a couple of others after that. He's a sick SOB to spend all that time talking to serial killers, but I think he gets his kicks from the books, not from being a serial killer."

Ziva looked over to Gibbs, who hadn't said a word. "Gibbs?"

He didn't answer.

"Boss?" Tony looked over. But Gibbs did not respond to him, either.

"Bossman?" Abby's arms were wrapped around her torso as she worried her lower lip with her teeth.

Gibbs didn't respond to her either, but he walked out of the lab. Alone.

"Boss, get back here." Tony glared after him, then whirled to face the rest of them. "McGee, fill Ducky in, get them up here. Ziva, stay here until Ducky and Jimmy get here. Dorneget, you're on protective detail for Abby, Ducky and Jimmy. McGee, Ziva, meet me in the bullpen once the others are set."

"Where are you going?" Ziva crossed her arms.

"After Gibbs." He jogged out the door.

She turned to McGee. "Is that-"

"Stay here, Ziva." McGee headed for the subbasement where autopsy was located. Only after he left did Ziva realize three of the team were out there alone, unless Tony had caught up with Gibbs. She looked around and Abby still had not moved, and Dorneget looked lost.

"Abby, can you pull up Boone's file?" Ziva walked over to the table, putting her hands on the cluttered surface and leaning forward. "If you are right and this is connected to Boone, there must be a link in his file somehow."

Abby nodded and spun on one heel, attacking the keyboard with her fingers. Still, she did not talk and that worried Ziva. She forced that down for now and looked to the probationary agent. "As Abby comes up with names, help her run them. We need to find this link, before he kills again."

"And he will kill again, my dear." Ducky's voice from the doorway was a welcome surprise. "Our killer, whomever he is, has been accelerating his kills in recent weeks, which likely means he is building up to something."

Jimmy and McGee followed the medical examiner into the lab.

"Ducky, you four stay here and see what you can find," McGee said. "Ziva, come on. We need to find Tony and Gibbs."

Once they were in the elevator, Ziva turned to McGee. "This is a bad case, yes?"

"Boone was sick and twisted. Anybody who's using that as his model has to be even more so." And that was all McGee would say.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs didn't hear anything after DiNozzo said Boone's name. That bastard was dead and buried. He was not coming back for a third time. But even as he thought that, he superimposed the hearts Boone carved in his victims' backs with the shape of the heart on the photos found with the earlier victims, with the metal hearts Abby had found on the more recent ones.

He walked out, the shouts dim echoes in his ears. Boone had ruined him once, almost gotten him the second time. Would have gotten him if not for his team. How had this gotten past him? He found himself outside, headed for the coffee shop. He slowed his steps for a second, then kept going. Whoever was after him, he wasn't going to kill Gibbs. Then he wouldn't be able to make Gibbs suffer, and that had to be the endgame here. Suffering. Torture.

He ordered his coffee mechanically, took the cup and headed out without registering anything about his surroundings. He bypassed the NCIS offices and went to stand out by the Barry, look over the Potomac. The heat of the coffee didn't faze him as he drank it down, staring out over the water. Boone grew up not far from the water, down near Tidewater, but he'd played his sick game up here, terrified thousands of women. Boone was a menace, the worst kind of dirtbag. Everything was a game to him, even his own death. Duck had tried to explain how evil like that came to be, but those were just excuses. Boone had been evil, and giving him the dirt nap had been one of the few times Gibbs felt like he had really accomplished something with this badge.

Who looked up to a man like that? You looked up to heroes, people who did good. Evil wasn't something to celebrate, to write books about or recognize. Gibbs always hated the people they had to arrest, the ones who thought they could break the rules and hurt innocents. But he had only run across this kind of evil a few times, and it got to him every time. He had to be harder, faster, better than ever to stop this evil from infecting the good of the world. His team had to be the best to do the same. Ari had been a monster, but he was a choirboy compared to the type of person who would try to copy Kyle Boone.

Gibbs drained his coffee and crumpled the cup in his fist, tossing it in a nearby trashcan.

"We're going to get him, Boss." Tony stepped up. "We. You, me, McGee, Ziva. Not just you. You got Boone alone the first time. You wanted to go alone the second time. This time, it's all of us. We're going to find this sick bastard and we're going to make sure he gets to meet Boone." Tony kept his hands loose by his side, but he stood tall, looking straight at Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded, and turned to walk back to the NCIS building. "Leads?"

He listened as Tony ran down all the things the rest of the team was doing, then nodded at the end.

"Boss, we need to get Ducky to do one of his psychological autopsies. This guy is beyond twisted, and we have to figure out what the heck is motivating him so we can stop him, before he goes any further around the bend." Tony walked by his side, not one step behind.

"First thing." Gibbs waited. "Thanks, Tony. Good work."

His senior agent didn't smile, but he did settle a bit, his shoulders easing just enough that Gibbs knew his message had gotten through.

"Come on, Gibbs, let's get this guy." Tony led the way into the NCIS building.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

There is no point in watching their homes today, any of them. The great Leroy Jethro Gibbs will not allow them to go home until they have solved this case. While he rides them to solve it, I'll be making my next kill. This one will be a crime of opportunity. It is easy to find a Marine who represents the almighty Gibbs. And my weapon is one they will be unable to link to me. If I had more time, I would use one that links to somebody else, somebody who would set them on a false trail. But time grows short, and the body count increases each day. One today, and one tomorrow morning. And then tomorrow night, it truly begins. After that, my time to complete my mission will be measured in days, not weeks. I must move quickly, and be prepared to give up this life for a new one. But I will have my revenge before I disappear. I will have my success.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

When Tony and Gibbs returned to the bullpen, McGee had filled the plasma with enough documents to make Tony dizzy.

"Please tell me you found something in all that digging, McTerrier." He shed his jacket and stowed his gun as he spoke.

"We have determined that if it is the biographer, he has not been working alone." Ziva spoke from her seat at her desk. "He does not have clearance to be on some of the bases where the murders took place."

"I said earlier — last night? — not that we've been to sleep — that our guy was probably working with somebody." Tony wished he'd gotten coffee, too. "If it's not the writer freak, who else is this obsessed with Boone?"

"That's what I've been working on, Tony." McGee clicked some buttons and the files on screen rearranged. "Boone's only known family was his mother."

"Who he killed." Tony retorted.

"Right." McGee rolled his eyes. "His mother was a prostitute, so Boone's birth certificate doesn't list a father."

"Great news, McGeek. A john out of thousands of possible men is a suspect. Like that narrows it down." Tony really needed that coffee now.

McGee just kept going, not even rolling his eyes that time. Tony spared a second to remember the probie who would have stuttered and shut up when Tony jabbed him like that, back when Boone was alive and insane.

"But if his father was that obsessed with Boone and his work, or wanted to take his revenge that badly, he should have turned up before now. Even if it was just in the book the guy wrote after Boone fried." McGee waved a hand toward the back elevator. "Dorneget's been working his way through the book looking for any mention of Boone's father and nothing's turned up."

"So if it's not Papa Psycho, who have we got?" Tony resisted growling. That was Gibbs' department, and he could tell from the stony expression on the team leader's face that he wasn't far off that. "Tell me you have something."

"If it's not Boone's family — and we have no evidence of a girlfriend or any woman in his life — that leaves people connected to his victims."

"Wait." Tony held up a hand. "Are we sure it would have been a girlfriend? Boone was seriously whacked in the head about women. Any chance he liked to get his rocks off with men?"

"Why would you throw a rock at somebody?" Ziva's question made Tony's jaw drop.

"Not..." He wasn't actually sure how to explain that one in the middle of a bullpen. "It's an expression Ziva. How do we know Boone was straight, not bent? Well, more bent."

"All his victims were raped, Tony." McGee's voice was quiet. "He was a sick bastard when it came to women, but that's the only way he swung that we can find evidence of."

"So we have to find all the people attached to 27 victims and figure out which one might have admired the killer of their loved one?" Tony dropped his head back to stare up at the skylight. "You're kidding, right?"

"I'm thinking an ex-boyfriend of one of the women, somebody who hated the woman and thought Boone gave her what she deserved." McGee leaned on his desk. "It makes sense, and since there's no apparent connection between that person and Boone, there's no reason it would have been flagged on any kind of security clearance review."

"Right, because whoever this is has base access." Tony walked over to his desk and pulled out the chair. "Did you get as far as pulling names of evil exes from the files before we got back?"

McGee shook his head.

"On it, Boss." Tony didn't even wait for Gibbs to tell him.

"Ziva." Gibbs headed for the back elevator, Ziva on his six. Once they were gone, Tony looked over at McGee.

"We need to get this bastard, soon."

McGee nodded. "Gibbs?"

"Silently pissed."

"I remember last time as well as you do. We're going to get him, Tony."

"Yeah." Tony started sifting through the files McGee sent him, making notes of names.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs walked into the elevator, hit the button for Autopsy.

"They are in the lab." Ziva leaned over and pressed the button for Abby's floor.

Gibbs just lifted an eyebrow.

"Tony thought they would be more effective paired with Abby and whatever she and Dorneget could find. And Dorneget is their protective detail."

Gibbs nodded. He didn't expect this bastard to pull an Ari, but the lab was a better place to keep all of them, even if Dorneget wasn't exactly his idea of adequate protection.

They walked into the lab to find Palmer and Dorneget bent over the lab table, each with half a paperback book, the binding ragged where somebody had split it. Abby and Ducky were visible in the inner office. Gibbs motioned for Ziva to stay with Palmer and Dorneget while he headed through the sliding door.

"Ah, Jethro. I am glad to see Anthony managed to keep you from going lone wolf on us this time." Ducky didn't even glance up from the table where documents papered the surface. "Did you know, it was Mr. Boone who piqued my interest in this sort of work? When I first learned of the science, I wondered how much earlier he could have been stopped had more people had these skills. After his admittedly brief resurgence through his surrogate, I stepped up my efforts to finish my degree so I would be able to help should we encounter another madman of his ilk."

"Talk to me, Duck." Gibbs stood at the end of the table, back to Abby.

The medical examiner straightened up. "We are not looking for a typical copycat killer. Our new killer does not try to replicate Boone's methods, nor his choice in victims. While his signature is reminiscent of Boone's in retrospect, it is not a match. Indeed, I believe he deliberately chose to switch signatures midway through his killing spree. In doing so, he created a break between his earlier victims and the most recent ones, a break that made it more difficult for those of us investigating the cases to realize they were in fact a single case. And yet, he made sure there was enough present at each case to link it to the others." Ducky looked over at him, and Gibbs nodded.

"Right. He is obviously skilled in a number of areas to have done each of these crimes himself."

"No accomplices?" Gibbs thought of Tony's theory about the baseball game vendor.

"I would think not." Ducky frowned. "This is a killer who seems to relish the chase. He is deliberately taunting you and your team. The timing of the earliest kills, all set for times when your team was occupied with other high-profile cases, suggests that he did not want you on the case too soon. Combined with his choice in victims, I believe he is targeting you and your team. Given your role in Boone's capture, incarceration and death, that is hardly surprising. But a man who thinks like that is apt to act alone. He does not trust others to be as smart and clever as he believes himself to be."

"Why now?"

"Now that is pure speculation." Ducky frowned. "Based on the cases that Abby has collected, the first kill was about six months after Boone was put to death, and was a victim designed to represent Agent Cassidy. But it seems unlikely that this man's obsession with Boone began then. Rather, I think he was aware of Boone while he was actually killing, but he held off on his own killing spree until later."

Gibbs tried to think back to the days when Boone was at large, back when he was still a fairly green NCIS agent. More than 15 years ago. "Why wait until Boone was dead, then? If he was targeting us, why not start earlier?"

"Now that is a puzzle I do not know the answer to." Ducky pointed to the submariner's file. "Knowing what we now know, it seems likely he was in fact already obsessed with the team while Caitlin was alive. But I have found nothing to tell me why he might have waited as long as he did to start killing."

"He?"

"Yes, I'm fairly certain this is a man."

"Why?"

Ducky eased himself onto the lab chair near the table. "As I said, I believe he is acting alone, and it would be difficult, if not impossible, for a woman to have killed our SEAL last night. Also, given Boone's choice of victims, I rather suspect that that madman's obsession with young women would not appeal to a female killer."

"McGee thinks it could be an ex- of one of the victims, somebody who approved of what Boone did."

"Quite possible." Ducky held up a finger. "In fact, quite probable."

"He and DiNozzo are looking at suspects in each of the deaths who might fit that profile." Gibbs could feel an itch under his skin, a need to be out doing something besides poring over papers from 15 or 20 years ago.

"While they do that, I shall endeavor to examine the victims. Once the authorities knew there was a serial killer at work, they likely did not examine the life of the victims in any great detail. Perhaps I can find something they might have missed, some man who would feel enough wronged by one of the girls to appreciate what Boone did."

"Duckman, that's just creepy." Abby walked over from her spot behind the desk. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Unfortunately, we cannot go back in time to create those social networks you are so fond of to see what the victims' private lives looked like." Ducky frowned. "However, perhaps you can find the various points of contact online for the names Timothy and Anthony have compiled. Looking at Facebook and the other sites for these men will help me assess their mindset."

"You got it." Abby nodded and headed back to her desk.

Gibbs hesitated, not sure why he doubted himself right now.

"Jethro, we will catch him." Ducky looked at him, waiting. Only when Gibbs nodded did the medical examiner return to his work.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

This one was easy, and it will distract them from my goal. The gunny never stood a chance, not against me. The great Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team aren't as smart as they think they are, or they would have figured more out by now. They would have asked some of the right questions, talked to some of the right people. And within 18 hours, they will not be thinking of those questions or those people. They will be cut adrift again, lost in recriminations and all those things people care about too much. Not me. This is clean, quick. The killing is just the means to my end, the goal that none of them have realized yet. One body, 10 bodies, 23 bodies. All pieces, pawns in the bigger game. The hour draws near for the final phase.


	19. Chapter 18

_**AN: **Don't shoot. I really didn't mean to abandon this for so long - novel revisions and work have been giving me fits. But I promised it would be done by Halloween, and that's just 10 days away, so this moved back to the top of my priority list. Hope some of you are still willing to read after the long hiatus. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

McGee looked at the long list of names on the plasma, red Xs over a third of the photos.

"Just two more victims, Tony, then I can help you start tracking down where these people are," McGee said as he bent over his computer again.

"Not so fast, Agent McGee."

McGee turned to see Vance standing on the landing behind the bullpen. "Director?" he asked.

"Little Creek just called. Dead gunny. Former DI." Vance's face was blank, except for a tightness around his lips.

"And he had those pewter hearts, right?" Tony asked. He rubbed his hand across his face. "Director, if they're picking us off, Ducky and Jimmy are two of the three they haven't targeted."

"Agreed." Vance put his hands on the railing, leaned forward. "I've already asked the Norfolk agents to document the crime scene, and contacted the local police to have their coroner examine the body on site before sending it up here."

"Ducky's not going to like that." McGee frowned. "He's going to worry about losing evidence."

"I'm more concerned about losing time and more people," Vance said. "This son of a bitch is speeding up and Gibbs doesn't have four hours to drive to Little Creek before we can even get a look at the body. At the rate we're going, we'll have another body by then. And if I send Dr. Mallard and Mr. Palmer, it could very well be one of them."

McGee nodded, and went back to his computer, determined to finish his review of the records. As he accessed the final victim's file, he heard Tony continue the conversation.

"Director, how was he killed?" Tony asked.

"Picked off by a rifle. Head shot. Probably from somebody off base, given the gunny's location, but we'll need Abby to reconstruct the trajectory to be certain." Vance frowned. "DiNozzo, where is Gibbs?"

"In the lab, with the rest of the team."

"Good. When he comes up, you send him to me. Until then, we don't tell him about this body."

McGee focused on his computer, even as he waited for Tony to object to Vance's comment. But he didn't hear anything. When he looked over a minute later, the director was gone and Tony was stabbing his keyboard like it was their killer.

"Tony, why didn't you argue with him?" McGee kept his voice low.

Tony didn't spare a glance for him. "And have to deal with him and Gibbs arguing over whether we go to Little Creek or not? Vance is right — we need the time more than we need to see the crime scene. This bastard's been careful. He's not going to slip up now. And the more time, the more bodies. If he's making sure he gets a stand-in for each of us before he moves on to us, we're running out of time."

McGee couldn't argue with that, much as he wanted to. Instead, he focused on finding information that would help them, so they could stop spinning their wheels and catch whoever it was playing games with them.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Vance headed for his office and logged into the system. The killer had training, and Vance wanted to be sure the Navy hadn't been the one to provide it. He pulled up all the records he had on sailors and Marines with sniper training, then started narrowing the list. As he checked the inactives, one name jumped out, a sniper who had overlapped with Gibbs on his tour in Kuwait and had been stationed at the Navy Yard a few years ago. Vance pulled up the file, but stopped when he saw the man was listed as dead.

He opened the record, just to be sure. The sniper had died around the same time Vance had been here as acting director, when the FBI was investigating Jenny Shepard. He had been stationed on the Yard at the time, but died at home one evening. Heart attack, though the man was only 40 at the time. Vance smoothed down his tie, reminded himself to eat the salad Jackie had packed him instead of going to the vending machines for something with more taste.

He opened the autopsy, just to be sure, and saw it had been done at Bethesda. The doctor hadn't found any reason for the heart attack, but had declared it natural causes. Vance pulled up the photos and wondered if there was a way to ask Dr. Mallard for a second opinion without letting Gibbs know. The first photo, of the man before he had been sliced open, stopped him. Over the man's heart was a tattoo of a heart. Vance reopened the summary of the case, and skimmed until he found the details — a henna tattoo, not a real one. Vance checked the rest of the file. No other tattoos. No record of a wife or a girlfriend in the man's record. A boyfriend wouldn't show up, as this was well before DADT's repeal, but Gibbs might know the man, know if he was inclined to swing that way. That would explain a henna heart instead of a permanent tattoo. Normally Vance hated these reminders of sailors and Marines forced to hide themselves or lose their chance to serve, but since the other option in this case was another serial killer victim, he hoped Gibbs would be able to say the man had been in the closet.

He didn't think they were going to get that lucky. Not this week.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony hung up the phone after yet another call to check out an ex of Boone's victims and resisted slamming it down — barely. "McGee, there's got to be a faster way."

"How, Tony?" McGee put down the receiver he'd just picked up. "Whoever this guy is, he's slipped below our radar for several years already. If we use the computers to narrow it down any more, we're probably going to exclude him. If it was obvious, we'd have caught him three or four bodies ago."

"I hate it when you're right." Tony sighed. "And I hate these revenge cases. At least this one's not likely to land me with the plague."

McGee stopped, his hand picking up the phone stopping in mid-air. "With all the people we've been warning, did anybody warn Brad? Since he's still your doctor, he's probably at least honorary Team Gibbs, and we know this guy was watching us when Ari killed Kate. He was probably watching two weeks before that, too."

"Way to be a downer, McLogical." Tony sighed and pulled out his cell. "I'll call him. You keep talking to guys who can't figure out why we're calling about an ex-girlfriend who died almost 20 years ago."

Tony called Brad's work line, but he didn't pick up. Frowning, Tony called the doctor's personal cell phone.

_"It's not football season, Buckeye,"_ came the greeting on the other end.

"No, it's homicidal psycho time." Tony filled his friend in. "Any doctors at Bethesda died under suspicious circumstances since you met us?"

_"I can ask around,"_ Brad said. _"Nobody comes to mind, though." _

"Ask, please. And don't do anything stupid — this guy's got skills and brains, even if he is twisted and sick. I appreciate the life-saving, but that doesn't mean we want to have to return the favor."

_"You've got it." _

After he hung up, Tony couldn't help thinking. "Hey, McGee."

The younger agent held up a finger as he finished a phone call. He hung up and typed a few keys. "That's another one off the list. Richard Baker lives in Nevada and works on the local TV news. He's sending us clips of the shows he's anchored this week to prove he hasn't left Nevada."

"That's cooperative of him." Tony frowned. "Since when do reporters cooperate with us?"

McGee shrugged. "He said his fight with his ex-girlfriend wasn't serious — they had fights like that every few weeks and would 'break up' for a couple of days before getting back together. He blames Boone for not giving him the chance to make it up to her, and said he was happy to see him get the death penalty. The idea of somebody copycatting him as an homage to Boone really bothered him."

"Maybe some journalists are humans after all." Tony twisted in his chair and cracked his back. "I was just thinking. Has anybody warned Stan Burley about this sicko?"

"Burley?" McGee frowned. "But he was way before Kate. Before you, even."

"Yeah, but we know this guy's a nut and he's focused on Gibbs. Burley was before all of us, but he was after Boone." Tony started looking through the NCIS directory online to find out where Burley was posted now. "Burley's the one besides us who stuck it out with Gibbs. If we're thinking Jardine and Dorney and Brad are in danger, Burley has to be, too."

"But he's not here, Tony."

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't warn him." Tony found Burley's posting. "He's in Naples. We'll have to use MTAC."

"That means clearing it with the director," McGee said.

"Clearing what with me, McGee?"

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~ **

This latest body required me to travel to a place I hadn't been, but it was worth it. Another one down, and this one will distract their attention from any leads they have been working to consider if they are indeed on the right track. That distraction will give me just the opportunity I need — to hit the first of them. As the sun sets on this day, they will be mourning the way I mourned the capture of my savior. And then the game will begin in earnest


	20. Chapter 19

_**AN: **Thanks for all the great reviews on the last chapter. The killer's speeding up, and so is the posting. Here's the next installment. Watch for more tomorrow. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

Abby tapped into the list of names McGee had compiled and started combing social media, looking for information about the men and any sign they might be this kind of hinky. She listened to Ducky talking to himself, or to their psycho killer, and let his gentle voice soften the edges she could feel on herself. Their team was the best and they had to find this guy, before he attacked anybody else.

She looked out to the main lab, but Jimmy and Dorney were sitting there alone. Abby wondered where Ziva and Gibbs had gone, but figured they must have headed to the bullpen. Abby forced herself to focus. The list of ex-boyfriends McGee and Tony had was down to just a handful of possibles, and Abby wasn't finding anything hinky about them. She frowned, trying to think of something they might have missed. As she did, her phone buzzed with a Facebook notification that she'd been invited to her 20th high school reunion. Yeah, because she wanted to go back there and have them stare at her. Facebook had made it way too easy to stay connected to people you only sort of knew.

Oh! Abby started tapping on her keyboard, looking for groups that Boone's victims would have been part of — high school classes, college classes, alumni groups. That was one way to find people who had been connected with them.

As she did, she started looking at the membership lists. The first one, for Boone's mother, had a retired Army colonel on the list, a name they hadn't seen before.

"That's it!"

"Abigail?" Ducky looked over. "Does this mean you've discovered something?"

"Maybe, Duckman. I think I found a way to find people who knew our victims and are serving in the Navy or Marines." She turned back to her computer and started hunting, making notes on anybody she found that was in the military, regardless of the branch. Once she had that list, she could start running them against the databases to find current postings and base access.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Vance listened as they explained about Stan Burley.

"Good work," he said. "I'll go warn Burley myself." He checked his watch. "You people have been going almost 36 hours straight with just a few naps. Either get some caffeine for the team, or stand down for a while to sleep."

Tony stood. "Coffee run it is. Come on, McSleepy." He laughed as McGee sputtered, and headed for the elevator.

As they headed down, Tony looked over at McGee. "I hate to say Vance is right, but-"

"But we can't keep running on caffeine and fear? Yeah, I know, Tony." McGee rubbed at his eyes. "But how do we stop? This guy's speeding up, which means a nap could be the difference between catching him before he kills again and after."

Tony tried — and failed — to stifle a jaw-cracking yawn. "I know. I'm getting ready to steal one of Abby's Caf-Pows, though."

"Then you'll be the next one dead, and Abby will make sure she doesn't leave any evidence." McGee yawned. "I'm getting a Caf-Pow. Coffee's not going to cut it."

So when they got to the coffee shop, only the baristas were surprised by the order for six Caf-Pows, a latte and two black coffees.

"You're getting Vance a Caf-Pow?" Tony asked as McGee reeled off the order.

"Two for Abby." He headed for the pick-up counter and Tony had no choice but to follow. "If we need one, you know she needs two, just like Gibbs and his coffee. Vance has his own coffeepot, like Ducky has his teakettle."

"Point," Tony said. "So the latte's for Dorney?"

"He's got one more day of sleep than the rest of us, and he's nervous enough around Gibbs," McGee said. "Him having a heart attack isn't going to help us."

Before Tony could reply, one of the regular baristas set the trays of drinks on the counter.

"Did you guys just decide to set Abby up with an IV of this stuff?" Chris asked.

Tony laughed as McGee shuddered at the idea. "Do not even suggest that to her," the younger agent said. "Abby doesn't need any ideas about how to get more caffeinated."

"McSleepy's right, Chris. No, the Caf-Pows are for us. Gibbs is on the warpath, so sleep is something I only wish we could dream about." Tony took the tray and the extra drink. "Come on, McGee, let's get these back before everybody goes more insane than we are already."

They were only halfway back when Tony's phone started ringing on his belt.

"Damn, that's Brad. McGee, here." He pressed the single cup into McGee's hands and then grabbed the phone before it went to voicemail. "Yeah, Brad?"

As he listened, Tony started walking faster. "Just now?" He tried to remember all the details Brad reeled off. "We'll be right there." He hung up.

"Right where?" McGee asked.

"Bethesda. Dead corpsman. Worked in the morgue."

"That's somebody for Jimmy, then," McGee said. "Only Ducky and Abby left."

"That we know of," Tony said. "Come on, let's just head for the garage." He punched in Gibbs' number and briefed the team leader.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

When Gibbs couldn't find McGee and Tony in the bullpen, he headed upstairs, Ziva at his heels. Vance's secretary pointed them toward MTAC. Gibbs walked in to see Burley on the big screen; he almost head-slapped himself. Why hadn't he thought of Burley?

"Good to see you, Gibbs," Burley said as they walked in.

"Stan." Gibbs turned to Vance. "Director."

"Agent Burley is aware of the situation, and he's monitoring flight manifests from DC to Italy to cross-reference with the various lists McGee and Scuito have compiled," Vance said.

"Doesn't seem likely he'd come after me, Boss," Burley said. "I'm too far away — chasing me would be too easy to track and would take too long."

"Agreed, Agent Burley." Vance didn't give Gibbs a chance to respond. "This is just a precaution, until we catch this son of a bitch." He motioned to the tech operators to end the feed.

"Should'a thought of Burley," Gibbs said.

"Thank DiNozzo. McGee suggested they warn Dr. Pitt, which reminded DiNozzo about Burley." Vance headed out of MTAC.

"They at Bethesda?"

"Coffee," Vance replied. "Gibbs, a few more hours and your team's going to have to stand down for a few to sleep."

"Can't afford to," Gibbs said.

"Your team needs sleep at some point, even if it's in shifts," Vance said. "I'll bring in Balboa's team to help, run down leads while you all rest. Last thing we need is somebody getting hurt because you're all walking zombies."

Gibbs didn't say anything, but he didn't argue either. Leon was right. Then his phone rang.

"Yeah, Gibbs." He listened, then disconnected. "Dead corpsman at Bethesda." He counted in his head. "That's nine bodies."

"Ten actually," Vance said. "Maybe eleven."

"You been holding out on me, Leon?"

"A gunny was shot — long-range rifle — at Little Creek earlier today. Norfolk's handling the scene and the body should be halfway here by now. And I found a suspicious death of a sniper who served in Kuwait with you an hour or so ago." Vance led them to his office and handed Gibbs the folder. "Henna tattoo. I figure either our sniper had a boyfriend he couldn't talk about or this is our serial killer's work."

"Killer," Gibbs said, handing back the folder. "Couple guys in the unit probably weren't straight. We covered when a major tried to root them out, before DADT. Vince wasn't one of them."

"Eleven, then." Vance nodded. "Be careful out there, Gibbs."

Gibbs just left, Ziva following behind him. Once they were headed for the garage, she broke her uncharacteristic quiet.

"We are running out of time, yes?"

"Been out of time," he replied. "Bastard's six years ahead of us."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Number 15 is in my sights. I have been most careful with this one to track and to figure out the best way to pick him off. After this, just eight remain. After this, they will not wonder if I am coming for them because they will know. They will have seen one that they know die, and they will begin to wonder who will be next. And still, they do not suspect. They do not have any idea how I have hidden among them for so long. When he finally discovers me, it will be too late. They will all be gone, and he will be shattered at my hand. It will feel wonderful


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Abby heard Ducky get up and leave, but she didn't bother looking up as she scrolled through page after page of social networks, looking for people who might have slipped past their radar, people who knew Boone's victims.

"Any luck, Miss Scuito?"

Abby spun around in her chair. "Director. I didn't even hear you- Wait, where is everybody? Oh, no. There's been another body, right? It's not one of the team, is it? Or somebody we know? I mean, not that it's OK if it's somebody we don't know because this dirtbag's killing innocent people to try and get his revenge on Gibbs or to try and imitate that sick freak Boone or-"

"Scuito." Vance glared at her.

"Sorry." She mimed zipping her lips.

"A corpsman out at Bethesda. We also have a gunny who was shot at Little Creek this morning on his way here, and I have a file on a sniper's death that was ruled natural causes back when the building was on lockdown during the FBI investigation of Director Shepard. I need you to re-examine that file, as well as have Dr. Mallard review it when he returns, to see if we need to exhume the body. Also, forensics for the Little Creek case and the Bethesda one should be coming in soon." Vance looked at her. "Until the team returns, I'm your protective detail. Anything I can help with?"

"Um, yeah, actually," And Abby was off explaining about her latest brainstorm. "So I figure it's a longshot, but everything about this case has been way out there and if we can't find a suspect through normal means, maybe it's because he's as abnormal as his logic for killing a bunch of people to get back at Gibbs — at Gibbs! — for catching Kyle Boone, and if we can find somebody this way, maybe we can stop him."

"Good thinking." Vance nodded. "If you can transfer this to one of your computers out there, I'll help." He handed her a file. "Meanwhile, you need to look at this."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

When the team got to Bethesda, MPs were guarding the body where it had fallen, near the metal fence that surrounded part of the installation. Tony looked for the ranking sailor and started quizzing him about the body.

Once he had everything, he reported to Gibbs, who was examining the fence near the body.

"The chief master-at-arms said the corpsman had finished his shift at 0800, and the body was discovered at 0921," he said. "They checked with the front gate, who reported Corpsman Morgan routinely waited an hour or two after his shift to leave, said once he missed most of the traffic that way." Tony studied the body, which was clad in T-shirt, shorts and sneakers. "So he was walking or running around the base for exercise when our killer struck."

Gibbs nodded and pointed his pen at a spot on the fence. Tony leaned in and saw paint chipped from the steel bars. "That's fresh — no rust or signs of exposure of the metal," he said, scanning the scene again. "So our killer didn't get on base this time?"

"Seems like it," Gibbs said. "Question is, why?"

"We know he has base access, because he's been able to get on the Yard, Quantico and Little Creek." Tony frowned. "Bethesda isn't exactly the toughest base to get on, either — between the hospital and NIH, the security isn't as tight as most of the other facilities. It's like the Yard — a driver's license and a stated reason for being on the base will get you in."

Gibbs nodded, then looked at him like he was waiting for Tony to get to wherever Gibbs already was. Tony thought for a minute. "Wait, that means it must be a name that has a good reason to be on those three bases, somebody the guards would classify as a regular, but who doesn't have a good one for here. He couldn't risk getting flagged as an unusual name."

Gibbs smiled briefly.

Tony pumped his fist. "Boss, this tells us who we should look at — and there can't be that many people with clearance and regular reasons for being on all three bases. Dirtbag finally made his first mistake."

"Second," Gibbs said.

"What was the first?" Tony asked.

"Messing with my team."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

While Ziva and Dorneget tagged and bagged the scene, McGee shot photos. He documented Ducky and Jimmy's examination of the body and the evidence collection. Once that was done, he stopped to talk to the sailor who discovered the body.

"It was weird," the master at arms said. "Yeah, we get dead bodies around here a lot, but in the hospital. We haven't had anything like this since that medical examiner shot himself a few years ago."

McGee looked over at the sailor. "Suicide? On base?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, it was really too bad, too. She'd only been here a couple of years, since the guy before her was arrested for selling body parts. I think you guys were the ones who busted him for that, Commander Ross."

McGee thought back, remembered the case. "We were. And his replacement killed herself?"

"Yeah, been two or three years, now. The overnight detail found her in her car, gun in hand, early one morning. They figured she'd killed herself the night before."

McGee made a note. He had a bad feeling this would make Body Number 12 — and it meant Abby was the only one who hadn't been targeted. That they knew of. At least she had Vance protecting her.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Today was my window for this first of the final kills, and it was a success. The expression on his face was one of a man who has seen this before, and yet did not expect it. I was careful to cover my tracks, except for the silver hearts. They will know this was my work, but they will not be able to find me. And I will watch and laugh as they grow more frantic hour by hour. I will watch the great Gibbs unravel as I strike again and again. Three more decoys, and I begin again in earnest, to strike at the heart of his team


	22. Chapter 21

**AN: **I'd say this is the chapter you've been waiting for, except I think I'm going to be dodging rotten tomatoes at the end of this.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

Brad watched the team at the scene from behind the police tape, and he didn't like what he saw. McGee was pale enough to look like he could use a couple of units of blood, and Jimmy wasn't any better. Brad could see the ME's assistant's hands shaking as he helped Dr. Mallard examine the body. Dr. Mallard himself looked like one of his patients. Gibbs looked gray and exhausted in a way Brad had never seen before. The probie they'd brought along was nervous, and Ziva seemed wound tighter than Brad could remember seeing her in the few times they had met. Tony was all business, his usual good humor gone as he helped the rest of the team with the crime scene, and once he seemed to have to force himself to stand from where he had crouched to examine the ground.

Brad thought he had seen the team run ragged before, when Gibbs was chasing down Hannah Lowell. They had looked like paragons of health then compared to now, even Tony. He moved over near the medical examiner's van and waited until Jimmy was rolling the body toward it.

"Oh, Dr. Pitt." Jimmy stammered as he fumbled for words. "How- Are you-? What-?"

"Relax, Jimmy," Brad said. "I'm the one who called Tony about the body — I saw the commotion from my office. He called earlier to warn me about the serial killer."

Jimmy nodded. "It's crazy. I mean, not that we don't normally get crazy cases, but this one is weird even for us." He shivered. "Weirder when you know you're the target."

"This is the first victim that's standing in for you?" Brad asked.

"I don't know how McGee can handle them having killed a couple of times for him." Jimmy looked over his shoulder and lowered his voice. "I'm worried about Dr. Mallard — he's trying to do his psychological analysis on this sicko, so I've been trying to deal with all the bodies, and now we've got two more, possibly three. He needs to take a real break, but I know he won't."

"You all need to take a break, Jimmy." Brad rested a hand on the assistant medical examiner's shoulder. "I think Tony looked better the first time I met him."

Jimmy's eyes widened. "That's not good."

"I know." Brad walked away, wondering how he could convince the team to take a break before one of them keeled over from some combination of stress, exhaustion and caffeine poisoning.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Vance kept one eye on Sciuto as she set up her lab and started running tests on the forensics that arrived by chopper from Norfolk. It hadn't escaped his notice that she was the only one who hadn't been targeted, and he knew it was too much to hope that the killer had skipped her because he couldn't find any Goth sailors.

Between that and working his way through the social network searches, Vance was not prepared for the beeping that erupted from his computer.

"Miss Scuito!" Vance stepped back from the machine.

"You got a ding, Leon!" Abby bounced over, her smile temporarily restored. "I didn't even realize- Oh!" Then she looked at the monitor. "Oh."

"Would you care to elaborate?" Vance asked.

"This is a search Ziva and I set up today. Or yesterday? Or last night? Sometime when we actually remembered the last time we slept. Anyway, we decided to pull all the cases of female personnel who had died and run them against the profiles of the various female agents who have been part of the team, even going back to Viv. It just got two matches." Abby hit a couple of buttons and the printer started whirring.

"Two?" Vance crossed his arms.

"Uh-huh." Abby read through the first one. "This was is Naval Intelligence, an analyst. She died of heart failure, but I'll bet if we tested the samples, it would be the same drug that caused our cryptographer's death." She frowned. "She's a young woman, with a husband who was left brain-dead by a car accident while she was deployed on the Enterprise. The Navy moved her back to DC and she died less than six months later."

"Nikki Jardine." Vance remembered the details he'd seen in her personnel file. "It her case it was her brother and an IED, but that's too much of a coincidence for me."

Abby nodded, but her pigtails barely moved. "And then there's this one." She sent a file to the plasma screen.

Vance read the sailor's file, then glanced over to see Scuito had wrapped her arms around herself and was squeezing more tightly than Kayla ever held her teddy bear as a child.

"This research scientist means everybody's been targeted," Vance said. "After today's body, Mr. Palmer was the last one."

"Does that mean we're next?" Her voice was so quiet he had to strain to make it out, something he never thought he'd say about the exuberant forensic scientist.

"This son of a bitch is not getting anybody on this team." But even as he said it, he was pulling out his phone to call Gibbs, make sure the team was safe. They needed to get back here, now. Before the killer struck again.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~ **

Within the hour, the entire team, including Dorneget and Brad Pitt, were in the bullpen. When Vance and Abby walked in, McGee tugged on her hand and pulled her close, feeling her tremble as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He watched as Vance lifted an eyebrow at Gibbs after scanning the group assembled.

"Brad insisted on coming, said he wanted to check us all out." Gibbs didn't give anything away, and McGee wondered if Gibbs thought the doctor was overreacting. And if he didn't, what did that mean?

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Pitt," Vance said. He surveyed the group. "As I'm sure you all know by now, Miss Scuito's searches turned up two more bodies while you all were at Bethesda, and Agent McGee believes he's found another body from a comment by the guards at Bethesda. Our killer has now targeted each member of this team, as well as past team members."

McGee could feel Abby's trembling moving into full-blown shakes, and he moved to stand behind her, his arms wrapped around her. Dorneget looked scared out of his mind, and Ducky looked older than McGee could ever have imagined.

Vance looked at each person in turn. "We do not know what our serial killer will do next, but I do know that having you outside the building is more of a liability than a help right now." He stepped up to face Gibbs. "As I'm sure Dr. Pitt will agree with. I'm bringing in Balboa's team to help with the fieldwork and running down leads, possibly Krone's team if needed. You each need to get some rest, and work on what we can do from inside the building."

McGee couldn't help but ask. "What if it's somebody inside NCIS? We still haven't ruled that out."

"Correct, McGee. But we have much more control over the situation here." But before Vance could say anything more, Ducky's cell phone rang.

The medical examiner looked at the phone and leaned against Gibbs' desk. "Excuse me one moment." He answered the phone, and his shoulders seemed to shrink as he listened to the person on the other end. But McGee couldn't tell from the conversation what was going on. Finally, Ducky disconnected and put the phone down.

"That was Malia Jackson. Gerald Jackson, young Mr. Palmer's predecessor, was fatally shot on his way home from work this afternoon." Ducky paused. "He was shot in the same shoulder whose injury caused his departure from NCIS."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gerald Jackson. I had his death planned since the day he left the team. He did not know it, but he has been the key from that moment, the gateway to the final stages of my plan. Now, they know. They realize that each of them, in turn, will be a target. With this one, Number 15, this is where the hunt begins in earnest. They know. I've given them enough information that they can start to learn just how thorough I've been. Leroy Jethro Gibbs doesn't realize it yet, but he's running out of chances. Three more. Three kills. And then I strike at his team. His current team. With each of the remaining kills, his fear will grow. And his ability to catch me will be less and less. Will he break before I finish? Or will he still be an NCIS agent in good standing when I deliver the final blow, the one that puts me ahead even of my hero?


	23. Chapter 22

_**AN: **Special thanks to everybody who's taken the time to review the past few days — I really appreciate each and every one of the reviews! I'm still on track to finish this by middle of next week, so the suspense won't last too, too much longer. Just long enough to hopefully keep you on the edge of your seats through Halloween. (Also on track to finish novel revisions by middle of next week so it can go off to the beta readers!) I started posting some of my original fiction at FictionPress under jenniecoughlin if you're interested. Just a couple of ficlets so far, but next month I plan to add a longer WIP in chapters. OK, six exclamation points in one AN means I need to drink less coffee. Shutting up now. :) _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

Ziva looked around the bullpen. She knew who Gerald was, of course, though she had not been part of the team then. McGee had not either, but he seemed as affected as the rest of them. Jimmy was chewing on his lower lip, and his eyes were huge through his round eyeglasses. The silence was painful, and Ziva could not abide it.

"He is not going after surrogates anymore." She stated the fact, knowing somebody must. "Now he is moving on to former team members. We are next." She could feel her Mossad training starting to kick in as she forced herself to detach from her emotions. She could not afford those, not today. Not until the killer was caught.

"David is right," Vance said. "Dr. Pitt, I want you to stay here until this matter is resolved. I'll clear it with your CO." He looked around the bullpen. "Gibbs, I need your team to stand down, sleep. Dr. Mallard, Miss Scuito, that includes you, too."

Ziva nodded, and watched as the others did so as well, though Abby only reluctantly agreed, the last to nod her head. One pigtail smacked McGee in the face, but he did not even flinch.

"I've got the futon in the lab, for anybody who wants to come down there," Abby said. "We can lock the doors, too, to be safer."

Ziva could see McGee's arms tighten around her. "Tony and I can crash down there with you, right, DiNozzo?" the computer-minded agent said.

Tony nodded. "How about you, Probette? Autopsy Gremlin?"

"Yes, that would be good," Ziva said.

"I think I will stretch out in Autopsy," Ducky said. "I find familiar surroundings are a comfort at times like these, and the couch in my office is quite long enough for me."

"If I'm going to be sleeping on the floor either way, I'll stay in Autopsy, too," Jimmy said. If you don't mind, Dr. Mallard?"

"Smart thinking, my boy," Ducky replied. "None of us should be alone until all of NCIS is ruled safe."

Vance nodded. "Gibbs?"

Gibbs just jerked his head toward the chair behind his desk.

"Agent Dorneget, if you wouldn't mind staying in the bullpen as well, I'll make sure we get some blankets for you, perhaps even a pillow." Vance nodded as Dorneget began to stumble out a reply. Ziva, despite the seriousness of the situation, could not help but be amused at the probationary agent's nerves.

"Good." Vance nodded once. "Dr. Pitt, if you'll join me, I'll have a word with your CO." He looked around, meeting each person's eyes in turn. Ziva nodded at him when her turn came, hoping to indicate she was all right. "I also need to brief SecNav on this topic, something I should have done a few days ago."

As Vance turned to leave, the group broke into smaller clumps. Ziva walked over to McGee and Abby, reaching them the same time as Tony. She saw Jimmy lead Ducky toward the back elevator and hoped Jimmy's presence was a comfort for Ducky, not a reminder of Gerald's fate.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~ **

Vance headed upstairs, the doctor at his heels. Once inside his office, Vance turned to him. "I'm afraid I wasn't quite accurate down there," he said. "I do need to talk to your CO, but that isn't why I wanted you here."

"You're concerned about the team." Pitt nodded. "I am, too. That's part of the reason I convinced them to let me come back here with them. They look worse than I've ever seen them, and I definitely am including the time Tony was dying from the plague in that category."

"Normally Dr. Mallard handles keeping them in reasonably good health, but as you can imagine, he is equally affected in this case," Vance said. "If you could assess them, I'd appreciate the intel." He paused. "We have a psychologist who has worked with the team before."

"And he didn't run screaming from this band of crazies?" Brad's grin was a bit forced, but Vance could appreciate the effort.

"Quite the contrary," he said. "Dr. Rachel Cranston might be the only person who is likely to get anything from them, especially in this situation." He selected his next words carefully. "My one concern is that her connection to the team could prove to be somewhat difficult in this case."

"Director, I'm not a head-shrinker," Pitt said. "I can only really deal with the physical symptoms. If you've got somebody who can evaluate their mental health, I'd suggest you bring that miracle worker in." He paused. "What is her connection to the team?"

"Dr. Cranston's maiden name is Todd," Vance said. "Her sister, Caitlin Todd-"

"She's Kate's sister?" Pitt's eyes widened.

"You knew Agent Todd?"

Pitt nodded. "She had a cold the day the envelope from Hannah Lowell arrived here, so Dr. Mallard insisted she go to Bethesda, too." He looked down to the floor. "She argued with Tony the entire time, but it was clear they were close. She insisted on staying with him, even once we knew she wasn't exposed."

Vance filed that information away in his mind. "I wasn't aware of that," he said. "At any rate, I'm going to contact Dr. Cranston, and see if she's willing to come over. If you could do some preliminary assessment, that would be useful. I expect those in the worst physical shape probably also are most in need of her services."

"Yes, sir," Pitt said. He started to leave, then turned back. "Thank you for letting me help."

"Thank you for your assistance, Dr. Pitt," Vance said. "I'll be sure to let your CO know how much we appreciate it."

Once Pitt had left, Vance made that call, the easiest of the three. The call to Dr. Cranston was more difficult, but not so bad as Vance feared. She agreed to head right over. The final call, to SecNav, was the one he was not looking forward to.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Disposing of the evidence was easy. Bleach destroys everything, and the water will keep the tools hidden until I have finished my task. It will be just a few days now, the remaining body count growing smaller. Three hours until the next step, just enough time for me to get the items I need and get into position. This one will be satisfying in a different way than the last one. They are focused on one end, because they still lack some of the pieces I so carefully prepared for them. This next body, it will point them in the right direction, but not quickly enough. Not before I begin the final phase of my plan


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Brad headed for Autopsy first to see how Dr. Mallard and Jimmy were doing. They were two of the four he was most worried about. He found Dr. Mallard had changed into scrubs.

"Much more comfortable to sleep in, Dr. Pitt," the medical examiner said. But not even a hint of a smile graced his face. Instead, all Brad could see were deep creases, the signs of a long life that normally were invisible thanks to Ducky's cheerful manner and general animation.

"Director Vance asked me if he should bring in Dr. Cranston," Brad said.

"You told him you agreed, no doubt." Ducky moved the back cushions of the sofa to the floor and sank onto the ancient piece of furniture. "I believe that was the right decision, though you don't need me to validate that." He slumped, elbows on his knees.

Before Brad could answer, Jimmy came in, also dressed in scrubs. He carried a beaker of water and set it down on a hot plate on the desk.

"I figured you might want some tea before bed," the young assistant said. "Oh, Dr. Pitt. Do you want some, too?" Jimmy bustled around getting mugs and a tin from the desk. Brad was surprised to see he looked better than he had earlier.

Jimmy stepped around the cushions, then looked at them, then the sofa. "Dr. Mallard?"

"They will not be quite long enough for you, Mr. Palmer, but they will be better than that infernal floor," the ME said. "I appreciate that you do not want me to run the risk of being attacked in my own autopsy suite, especially with a killer who might actually take a leaf from Ari Haswari's book and come in as a corpse, but there is no reason you should suffer unduly for your protective instincts."

As Jimmy began to protest, Brad watched and saw that the tart rejoinder seemed to have brought Dr. Mallard back to life. Jimmy removed the beaker from the hot plate as the water began to bubble and asked Dr. Mallard to show him how to do it, stammering something about impressing his girlfriend's mother. It took just another minute or two to see his presence wasn't necessary, and that this probably should be Dr. Cranston's last stop when she arrived. Unless, of course, something were to happen to either man. They seemed to know exactly what the other needed, and be willing to provide it. Brad could only hope this break would allow the other members of the team to do the same for each other.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony sat straight up, the lab dark around him, and winced. Sleeping on the floor never used to be this bad. He let his eyes adjust to the faint light coming in through the high windows and looked around. Ziva was curled up in a corner under one of the desks, her arms wrapped tight around her knees. He wondered if that was something they had taught in Mossad, defensive sleeping. He remembered from the married assassins case that she sprawled across the mattress.

Abby was over on her futon, McGee's arms wrapped around her. He was pretty sure they weren't sharing the coffin these days, but McGee was like her security blanket when things got insane. Gibbs, too, but there was no way he was sleeping down here. He wondered if the Boss was even asleep. After what Vance said, he wouldn't put it past Brad to slip Gibbs a sedative and deal with the pissed-off former Marine later.

But maybe he didn't want Gibbs trapped in nightmares. Tony cracked his neck and tried not to think about the images that had woken him. This sicko was finding all sorts of buttons to push with his sadistic killing spree, and Tony was ready for it to stop. Before anybody else got hurt, or one of them went off the deep end.

His skin felt like it was coated in sticky, clammy ick. He couldn't even muster up a smile at the idea he sounded like Abby. Tony pulled his damp undershirt from his skin and wondered if Vance would kill him if he headed for the locker room alone to change.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs stood by the window in the squadroom, the only light in the large space from his desk lamp and a few lights outside MTAC shining down from above. He looked out across the Potomac. The dirtbag was out there. Somewhere. Gibbs wondered if he was killing again. Would he return to stand-ins if he couldn't get at the team? Or would he lie in wait? Was he on the Yard? Was he within NCIS?

The team leader turned to scan the room. Nothing moved. He could hear a faint rumble from the space between DiNozzo and McGee's desks where Dorneget was stretched out. Leon was still in his office, probably on the sofa. Gibbs wondered how the director has explained this to his wife, and if the man's family was in danger.

Still, he looked through the dim room for something to explain the prickle of unease along his neck — beyond the obvious. Too much space. Too many places to hide. Too many suspects. Not enough certainty.

Gibbs headed back to his desk and looked at the lists and theories and potential suspects. All their skills, all the technology, and he was further from finding this bastard than he had been from catching Boone during his killing spree. He rubbed his eyes and stifled a yawn. Still, he needed to sleep. Especially since this was somebody who could get on the Yard. He needed to be alert when people started arriving at the building in a few hours.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

I was right. This was satisfying. Simple, much easier than the last several. Just as the next one will be simple. They will provide the necessary distraction to the almighty Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his band of followers. While they are looking in the direction I am pointing them, while they discover more of the early puzzle pieces I left for them to find, I will be finishing off my dinner and getting ready to enjoy dessert. Nine to go. My first nine took me five years. The final nine, just five days. And by the end of it, Leroy Jethro Gibbs will know he has been beaten, will know that I am the greatest. I cannot wait to see them tomorrow, failing miserably.


	25. Chapter 24

_**AN:** This one's a little longer than some of the others. If you haven't seen last season's Need To Know with Dorneget, there's a small character spoiler, but given how much attention the information got at the time, I'm thinking most of you know it. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24<strong>

The next morning, Ziva woke up, her muscles stiff as she slowly stretched out. Abby was still asleep on the futon, but Tony and McGee were gone. The first rays of sun were just started to light the lab. Ziva slowly worked tension from her fingers, then her shoulders. This being stalked, like a rat on a trip, no, trap, it did not suit her. There must be something she could do, something to stop feeling like this was just a waiting game.

Ziva took her small bag and went into the ballistics lab to change. Abby slept on as she returned to the office and quickly braided her hair. It would have to do until she could take a shower at some point when Abby was awake. No doubt the locker room was another location she should not go alone, and she was not about to ask one of the others to partner here there. Not even Dorneget, who she could be reasonably sure was not interested in seeing her shower.

At the noise in the outer lab, she looked up to see Gibbs and Dorneget walking in. So as not to wake Abby, she stepped into the main lab.

"Abs?" Gibbs lifted an eyebrow.

"Is still asleep," Ziva reported. "Perhaps you could stay here and we can run to the coffee shop for enough caffeine to keep everybody functioning?"

Gibbs nodded. "Vance, too. Breakfast in his office, all of us."

Ziva gave a nod, then headed from the lab, Dorneget following. She stopped in the bullpen to set down her bag, but Tony and McGee were not there either. Still, she did not worry. Gibbs would have said if they were missing. As they headed out, she asked Dorneget how he had slept.

"Um, not bad. I mean, it was the floor. And there's some nutcase out there, or in here, or something." Dorneget hesitated. "Ziva, are we sure this is safe? I mean, we don't know who is behind this."

"I would be more worried about Gibbs if he does not get his coffee." She let a small smile on her face. "As I know he has told you, the coffee in the break room is not coffee."

Dorneget blushed. "Ah, yeah, he did." He was quiet for a second. "Are you scared?"

Ziva thought, and chose her words with care. "I believe that this killer, whomever he is, he cannot be as smart as all of us put together. We have been pushing hard, trying to stop him. Perhaps now that Director Vance has two other teams working on the crime scenes, and now that we have slept, we can figure out who and why."

"I hope so."

When they approached the coffee shop, Ziva's senses kicked into high gear. "There are many people here this morning." She checked her watch. "We must watch what we say, and be alert."

Dorneget nodded, but she was fully prepared for him to put his foot on his mouth anyway. She led the way into the coffee shop, taking advantage of the line to see who was there. An admiral and two other officers were sitting at a table by the window, and she could see several of the intelligence analysts in the area near the back with comfortable chairs. She saw Nikki Jardine, but was not surprised to see the analyst had only a bottled drink in her hand. No doubt she did not trust food prepared by anybody but herself.

There were other NCIS personnel in the shop, but nobody she would consider suspicious. A few low-ranking Navy and Marine officers were in line in front of her, joking quietly, and casting an occasional glance at the high-ranking officers by the front window. Two women in tan uniforms were at the front of the line, caps tucked under their arms. Ziva looked behind the counter to see Chris making breakfast sandwiches, while Aaron fixed drinks. The new girl who had messed up the drinks the other day was at the register, and Ziva reminded herself to place the order loudly enough for Aaron to hear. He would get it right.

But when they made it to the front of the line, Chris was the one to take their order.

"You were here last night, were you not?" Ziva asked. "Do they not let you go home?"

Chris snorted. "I've seen you and your team sleep here for a week," he retorted. "You're hardly one to talk."

"You have a point." Ziva was conscious that she wore the shirt and workout pants she had slept in. She placed the order, remembering to add a coffee for Vance. Dorneget insisted on paying, and Ziva made a note to talk with Tony and McGee about reimbursing him part of the cost. She remembered from last year what probationary agents made, and it was not enough to ask him to pay for everybody.

They moved down to the end of the bar, and Ziva watched as Aaron started making their drinks. He did not move quite right, and she watched more closely, careful to keep it unobtrusive. Aaron finished attaching the espresso spouts to the machine and pushed his sleeves up as he reached for the milk. A dark bruise on his forearm caught Ziva's eye and she had to ask.

"Aaron, are you all right?" She kept her voice pitched low and stepped closer so he could hear her over the hiss of the steamer. "That looks painful."

Aaron looked down. "Yeah, my sister can be pretty brutal when she's mad." He continued making the drinks as he talked. "She and Mom don't get along, so when I went down to visit them on my days off, I had to break up a fight." He shook his head. "I told McGee it was going to be nasty."

"Did you report your sister?" Ziva asked.

He started to shrug, but winced and let his right shoulder drop. "It's nothing, Ziva." He turned away and focused on the drinks, and Ziva stepped back. At Dorneget's look, she shook her head, and hoped he understood to wait. She watched Aaron and saw more places the skin was darkened — his hands, and one side of his jaw. That seemed to be covered by makeup, though, and she wondered how often this happened if he was prepared to conceal it like that.

Once they were away from the coffeeshop, drink trays in hand, he did ask. "What was that all about?"

"He said his sister had done that, and it sounds like it might happen quite often." Ziva frowned. "Yet he would not report it, which I do not understand."

"A lot of guys won't." Dorneget hesitated, then continued. "Everything that's set up to deal with domestic abuse is geared to women. A friend of mine-" He stopped again.

"Yes?" Ziva looked over at him.

"His boyfriend was abusive, used to beat on him pretty regularly. This was in college, and when Mike went to try and get help, after we all convinced him this wasn't his fault, he ran into that. He didn't have the money to leave their apartment, and he wouldn't stay with us because he didn't want his boyfriend to come after us. But the shelters are all only for women, and the resources are all designed for women. And the cops didn't want to listen, didn't believe a guy could get beat up. It took him a lot longer to get free, and only because we made him stay with us."

Ziva thought about it for a minute. "I would imagine it would be harder in a case like this, because he is having to convince people that a woman attacked him, and many people believe women cannot be stronger than men." She thought some more. "I believe Tony might know something that might help — I believe he dealt with some of these cases when he was with the police."

"Abby does a lot with a couple of the women's shelters in the area, too," Dorneget said. "She's also been working with some of the LGBT groups in the city to find ways to help us deal with this since a lot of the traditional resources aren't as good."

"I will talk to her, then, too," Ziva said. "And now, let us get these back before Gibbs bites somebody's head off."

Even though she was worried about Aaron, it felt good to worry about something other than the team, something she could help with.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Vance watched from his desk as the team members came in, two at a time, to see the steaming feast on his conference table. Jackie finished setting out paper plates.

"Wow. Mrs. Vance, did you do this?" McGee's eyebrows almost hit the top of his forehead. "Thank you."

As the others echoed their thanks, Vance motioned for them to dig in. "You people need a meal that's not takeout, and Jackie volunteered." He didn't mention that he hadn't wanted to risk ordering out. Coffee was one thing — they could watch that being made. But anything else was too risky.

Three egg casseroles sat down the middle of the table, each with the ingredients labeled, while waffles and fruit salad filled things out. There was relative silence as the team dug into the food, and Vance was glad to seem they all seemed more together than they had the night before. Dr. Cranston was waiting in one of the conference rooms, but he was beginning to think he might be better off sending her into the bullpen — he could see the team was looking better, and they would prefer to be working the case. Once everybody was looking more or less normal, he broached the topic he knew they all were wondering about.

"Balboa and Krone's team have been working in another part of the building, to leave your team relatively undisturbed," he said. "They haven't found anything to date to narrow the field by much, but you should have full access to their files, and they will be back in the squadroom by the time we finish here.

"Director, I think the list I started to run last night, the one of everybody with access to all three bases, is going to help. The killer has to be on that list someplace, probably in the group of regulars," McGee said.

"Agreed." Gibbs set his fork down. "Abbs, can you two-"

"Check McGee's list against what Leon and I pulled from the social networks for people who would have known Boone's victims? Sure can, Bossman." Her pigtails bounced. "I'll bet we find somebody on that list."

"DiNozzo-"

"Ziva, Dorney and I will go through the entire list of bodies, see what we can find now that we think we have most of them." DiNozzo didn't even hesitate before volunteering the other two.

"Jethro, I think Mr. Palmer and I will be most helpful by reviewing the records of all the bodies, as well as these newest bodies," Ducky said.

Gibbs gave a short nod.

As the team scattered, Vance looked at the mess on his table and waved Jackie off. "I'll take care of it, honey. You've done enough."

Now if the team could only demolish this killer as well as they had demolished breakfast, before Vance had to call another family and inform them their son or daughter had given his or her life in the line of duty.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Gibbs and the team were just filing down the stairs when Balboa called across the room.

"Gibbs, we've got another one. Marine MP, out clubbing last night. This one had a heart drawn on his face." The agent's face was grim. "My team's taking this one. Reports on the last one are on your desk.

"That does not make sense," Ziva said. "He killed Gerald. Why go back to killing people who are not us?"

"He couldn't get us?" Tony turned his hands up, shrugged. "Maybe if we hadn't been here last night, one of us would be dead."

As Gibbs looked around the room at the agents watching the exchange intently, the prickling feeling returned to the back of his neck.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Eighteen down, six more to go. But the all-knowing Leroy Jethro Gibbs is unaware of the full extent of my influence. His team is looking ragged around the edges, which improved my morning. Seeing them flail and flounder, easily distracted from what it right in front of them, proves that they are no match for me. By week's end, many of them will be dead, and he will be destroyed.


	26. Chapter 25

_**AN: **Loving all the comments from you guys about possible suspects. I think — since this started posting — I've only seen one person mention the actual killer as his/her suspect. I can't wait to see what you think when you find out who — and why. I was going to wait until tomorrow to post this, but I feel like celebrating: My first book's on sale for 99 cents, so more people are buying it, which makes me happy. I finished an emotionally brutal scene in novel revisions, the kind that makes me tear up writing it. And I'm getting close to finishing this mini-epic — just 3.5 chapters left to write! (The final one is already written.) So here's the latest — hope you enjoy! _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25<strong>

Tony looked around the bullpen at the team after Balboa walked out. "Looks like I rate a second shot by this guy." He kept his tone light, but couldn't wondering. "We've got two Gibbs stand-ins, two for me and two for McGee. Who's next?"

"That is an excellent question," Ziva said. "Does that mean you three are first on his list?"

"No." Gibbs didn't say anything more.

Tony stared at the Boss for a second before it clicked. "He's trying to get revenge on Gibbs, so Gibbs is last. The guy's going to torment him by killing the rest of us first."

"So does that make you and McGee last on his list?" Ziva replied.

"My dear, if we could understand this madman's method, we would be much closer to catching him," Ducky said.

"Somebody needs to catch him," Jimmy said. "This makes four bodies in 24 hours — at this rate we'll all be dead in two days."

Tony couldn't disagree. "Boss had a good plan upstairs. Let's stick with it." He watched Abby and McWizard head for the elevator, Ducky and Jimmy not far behind. Brad had followed them out of Vance's office, but stayed upstairs. Tony had a feeling the doctor was reporting in to the director on how they were doing, but he wasn't going to worry about that now. They would get the dirtbag, then they could rest.

Gibbs settled in behind his desk, so Tony motioned for Ziva and Dorney to join him around the plasma.

"This does not make sense," Ziva said. "There is no method, so reason to what he is doing."

"Which is why he's managed to kill sixteen people in the last six years and we still haven't caught him," Tony retorted. "We know he's clever."

"There's one thing I don't get," Dorneget said.

"One thing?" Ziva asked.

Tony refrained from making a "Clue" reference — it wasn't worth the time to explain. "What's that, Dorney?"

"If Boone died five years ago, and he was arrested 10 years before that, why is this guy just going nuts now?" The probationary agent looked around. "Or am I the only one wondering that?"

"No, that's a good point," Tony said. "Ziva, do we have a list of each of the bodies and when they were killed?"

She nodded and went over to the computer to put it up on the screen. "What are you thinking, Tony?"

He studied the screen for a minute, then pointed to the first part of the list. "These first seven bodies, including the two Abby found yesterday, were spread over almost five years — from six months after Boone died until about six months ago. And they include everybody who original on this version of Team Gibbs, plus McGee, Nikki Jardine and Paula Cassidy."

"Paula makes sense," Ziva said. "Her role in Boone's final days would have made her a target. Nikki is the one I do not understand."

"Yeah, why isn't she down here with us?" Dorneget asked. "You guys warned people I've never heard of, but not her."

Ziva held up a finger, then looked around and motioned them closer. Her voice was low as she said, "Nikki was in the coffee shop this morning, which seems unusual for her."

Tony leaned in. "With all those germs?"

"Exactly." Ziva crossed her arms. "She is in the building, so she had access to all of us. And if she is frequenting the coffee shop, she has the ability to see us there as well, and eavesdrop."

Tony still couldn't buy it. "Maybe she's a source of information for our killer, but I can't see her doing it. Too many germs. Besides, she would have been a kid when Boone was killing. That doesn't make any sense." Still, he looked over the list of names and dates again. "Maybe our killer is using her, and he targeted a victim like her to keep her off our radar." He scanned the names again. "Dorney, can you make a list of everybody who was in the coffeeshop this morning?"

"I can try, Agent DiNozzo." The probie went to sit at the desk he'd been using. Tony stared at the names some more. "Ziva, if you were targeting us, who would you go after next?"

She hesitated, then tapped the screen next to one of the early names. "I think if somebody was trying to hurt Gibbs, Abby would be first on his list. She also is the only one who has skills the rest of us do not. Losing her forensic ability would slow us down even more."

"Maybe that's the answer," Tony said. "We know this guy is watching us, whoever he is. What if we send Abby out — alone — to the coffee shop as bait."

"No." The word from behind Tony made him flinch.

"Boss, listen for a minute," he said, turning to look at the team leader. "Look, we know this guy has used poison at least a couple of times. If we send Abby alone for a Caf-Pow, and if she is careful to set it down a couple of times while she talks to people, we give the killer a chance to spike it. Then, when she gets it back here and we test it, we've narrowed our suspect list down to eight or 10 people, instead of the hundreds we have on all of these lists."

Ziva looked up from her desk. "I know the perfect ruse, too," she said. Tony listened as she explained about the bruising she'd seen on the barista. As she finished, she added, "Abby has some experience with these support groups, does she not? She could try to talk to Aaron, and that would give our killer plenty of time to spike the drink."

Tony looked to Gibbs, who was looking marginally less like he was going to eviscerate Tony for suggesting the idea. "Boss?"

"What do we know about this sister?" The team leader looked from one to the other.

"We'll find out, Boss." Tony headed for his desk. "Ziva, while I run background on the sister, can you figure out all the possible surveillance if we do run this op? We can't watch from the street — this guy's too smart."

She nodded and bent back over her computer as Tony pulled up the base security logs to find out what Aaron's last name was.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

McGee followed Abby to her lab, unsurprised that she shut the door for once.

"Ready for this to be over?" he asked.

"Yes, McGee!" Abby whirled to face him, a pigtail smacking her in the eye as she spun. "This guy's creepy and smart and he needs to stop, before we all get dead."

She pulled up a list on her screen. "Now, let's check our two lists, see which matches we get."

McGee tapped away on his keyboard and soon the screens had lines of text whirring by as the computers compared the names. "It's going to take a while, Abs — a lot of the social media names have maiden names, or use nicknames. I had to set the match parameters pretty loosely, and that's going to give us a lot of extra names."

She nodded. "I've got a lot of evidence to run through my babies while we're waiting. You can help." She handed him a pair of rubber gloves, and McGee ditched his jacket before pulling them on.

They worked in silence for a while, only commenting when Abby was telling him what to do, but it was comfortable. McGee let Abby get lost in the science of her work. If he kept his eyes moving, watching the windows and listening for unusual sounds, nobody had to know that but him.

When he heard somebody at the door, McGee moved to block Abby from the doorway, just in case. But it was just Gibbs and the rest of the team, the grim smile on Tony's face at odds with their relaxed posture.

"Another body?" he asked.

Tony shook his head. "We've got a plan to try and trap him, but it means Abby needs to be bait."

McGee was about to protest, but if Gibbs was OK with it, there must be a good reason. He turned to look at Abby, who bit down on her lip. She looked around the room.

"What do I need to do?"

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

The day goes slow as I wait for my time to be free again, to hunt the last of my decoys. Tomorrow, I will enjoy the dessert phase, the fruits of my labor. I strike first to demoralize, then to disable. Each of the final three bodies will raise the stakes, until the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs is left with nobody except the incapable and the man who will force the almighty one to sacrifice himself. Gibbs will go mad waiting for the final blow to fall, watching the two bumblers as though I would care about them. And I will vanish back into obscurity, my goal complete


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

As Abby headed out an hour later, McGee resisted the urge to follow her. Instead, he went back to the lab, dragging Dorneget with him, and focused in on the search he had started running earlier. He had seen Dr. Cranston headed for the bullpen, right behind Brad, and he really didn't feel like dealing with her right now, even though he knew she meant well.

McGee printed out the partial list of results and started scanning, looking to see which were true matches. He was able to cross off about two-thirds of the names right away. The computer dinged when the full search finished, and McGee printed the rest of the names. As he read through, he found about the same ratio of false positives. Once he was sure he had the final list, he turned to find Dorneget sitting on a chair, scanning from the windows to the door, then back, much as McGee had done earlier with Abby.

"Dorney, I need your help." McGee printed out a fresh copy of the smaller list. "We've got a list of people here that we need to get more information on, particularly if they had any direct connection to any of Boone's victims."

He laid out the list:

Richard Michael Dawkins

Kristen Anne Hatter

Steven Lopes-Gomez

Boswell Mitchell Cabot

Melissa Kelly Watters

Jacob Stonecipher

Ronald J. O'Leary

Carol Lynch Sotelli

Patrick Firestone

Lisa Marie Mitchell

Thomas K. Waznewski

He marked a spot halfway down the list. "You take the top part, and I'll start here."

"OK, McGee."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Abby headed for the coffee shop, alone for the first time in a few days. It was weird, nobody to talk with, and she wished she could have brought somebody. But then their creepy killer wouldn't take the bait and they needed him to, before somebody else wound up dead. She tried to relax her shoulders and look like she was just out for a break to get recaffeinated.

When she got to the coffee shop, she could see a girl over with Aaron trying to show her how to work the espresso machine. That must be the flake the guys had mentioned. Chris was at the register.

"Another Caf-Pow already?" he asked, grin tugging at his lips.

"Hey, science needs fuel," she replied as she handed over some cash.

She headed down to the pick-up window, wondering how she was going to get Aaron's attention with the new girl there. Abby craned her neck to see the nametag. Carol. Abby wrinkled her nose. This Carol was nowhere near as cool as her friend Carol — that wasn't fair to the name. Not like Abigail Borin, who was cool enough to be another Abby, once they got to know her.

Abby tried not to roll her eyes as she watched this Carol botch two coffee orders. When Chris finally called her over to the register, Aaron's whole body seemed to relax.

"Here you go, Abby," he said, handing over the Caf-Pow. He lowered his voice. "Don't worry, even she can't screw up a Caf-Pow."

"Better not," Abby said. "Just ask Tony and McGee what I do to people who mess with my Caf-Pow." She kept the smile on her face, so Aaron would know she was kidding, and set the drink down on the counter just behind her. "Hey, Ziva mentioned your sister." She leaned in. "I've done a lot of work with some groups, including a place that is dedicated to helping out guys in your situation. I can give you some names, or take you over there."

Aaron shook his head. "It's nothing, Abby. I shouldn't have said anything to Ziva about it, really." He backed away. "Better go get your science fuel back to the lab."

Abby stepped back and picked up the drink. "If you change your mind, let me know." She turned and walked out, remembering not to take her usual big sip of the drink. She did lift it as though she was about to drink, then lowered it to push open the door. They couldn't let the killer know she was bait.

She headed back to the agency, and went straight to her lab, determined to run the tests first thing.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony resisted the urge to follow Abby to the coffee shop — they couldn't afford to have the killer see anybody other than Abby. Brad and Dr. Cranston had offered to go to the coffee shop, but Vance had pointed out that the killer had likely stalked the team long enough to know both of them. Gibbs had unleashed his glare at that point, and Tony and Ziva fled to the relative safety of the bullpen.

"What are you doing," Ziva asked, walking close enough to lean over his shoulder.

"Dancing the cha-cha," Tony retorted. "Investigating, Ziva."

"Do not bite my foot off."

"Head, Ziva."

"Foot, head, arm, whatever." She put a hand on his shoulder. "I am worried, too, Tony."

"You're not the one who sent Abby out as bait."

"No, but I am the person who gave her the reason." Ziva squeezed his shoulder. "I can only hope that we have not set her up to also be a target for Aaron's sister."

Tony shook his head. "If she had that big a rage problem, somebody would have reported something by now. If she's like most abusers, she's very controlled — and controlling — in public. It's only when she's inside the house that she lets loose."

"Why would you still go visit a relative who behaves like that to you?" Ziva moved to the side of the desk and sat on the edge. "A spouse, I understand. But this is a sister."

"You think this time it will be different. You think maybe you've done the right thing, made yourself the person they want you to be." Tony turned to face her. "After you saw what your father had done to Ari, heard it in Ari's own words, how often did you go see him?"

Ziva's cheeks flushed and she looked away. Tony winced. He hadn't meant to hit that closely. "Sorry, my little ninja chick."

"You did not see your father for many years." She looked at him. "How did you find the strength?"

"Not tough to stay away from somebody who doesn't want you around, and who never notices if you're there or not." He kept his tone light. "Now, let's see what we can find out about Aaron's sister."

"Did you get his last name?" Ziva asked.

Tony nodded. "Kelly — makes sense. He looks like Black Irish."

"The Irish are white, Tony."

Tony couldn't help the laugh that escaped, as grim as today was. "It's a term, Ziva, for the Irish people with the very dark hair, pale skin and blue eyes. Palmer's not Irish, but it's close to his coloring."

"Oh, yes." Ziva nodded. "Aaron does indeed have pale skin, almost as much as Abby's. That is part of how I noticed all the marks. So have you found his sister?"

"Getting there," he said. "It's not exactly an uncommon name."

As he tapped away and narrowed it down, he whistled when he found the right woman. He sent her photo to the plasma just as the elevator dinged. Tony looked over to see if Abby was back.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

McGee made his way through his half of the list, looking for anything that might explain what was going on. But at the end of the names, he hadn't found any clear connection between the names and a victim of Boone's. Some classmates, a few neighbors or people who were in the same club as a victim. But a lot were different years.

"Anything, Dorney?" He looked over at the probationary agent.

"Three of the people on my list are deployed outside the region right now," he said, pointing to Dawkins, Hatter and Cabot.

McGee marked them off on his list, then paused. "Wait — you're sure none of them are on leave?"

Dorneget nodded. "I checked, and they're all where they're supposed to be."

"Sotelli and Firestone are the only two on my half that look like possibles," McGee said. "Come on, let's go compare notes with Tony and Ziva."

They headed upstairs, and McGee wondered how Abby was faring. He looked for her as they walked off the elevator, but all he saw was Tony and Ziva in the bullpen, looking at-

"DiNozzo, how did you guys narrow it down to her so quickly?" McGee asked.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

The day grows late, the sky begins to darken. Leroy Jethro Gibbs and his team are not even close. They have not begun to ask the right questions. In another hour, they won't be asking those questions. They will be reacting, not thinking. Obsessing. Stepping into the abyss where sanity is nowhere to be found. They will teeter on the edge. And I will be the one to push them over it, the one to decide who is lucky enough to die and who must stay alive to face what is left when I am done. I hold all the power in my hands for the first time. I will be a legend until the end of days. I will surpass my hero; I will be the first to best Leroy Jethro Gibbs, the only one to break him. I will claim victory


	28. Chapter 27

_**AN: **This is a short chapter, but it's for a reason. Just three to go after this one. Hope everybody in Sandy's path is staying safe! Side note: As of two chapters ago, this is my third-longest story, after Life Is Made and Razor's Edge. It just passed Steal My Breath Away._

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27<strong>

Tony looked over. "McBabble, what are you talking about?"

"How did you guys figure out that she did it?" McGee repeated. "Dorney and I had only narrowed it down to four people."

"Wait, you are saying that she is one of the serial killer suspects?" Ziva looked from McGee to the screen, and Tony was just glad he hadn't been the one to ask.

"She was a classmate of one of Boone's early victims, Sarah McCray," McGee said. "They both had parents in the Navy and were stationed in the Norfolk area."

"McGee, this wasn't for the serial killer case," Tony said. "This is Aaron's sister, the one who beat him up."

"Well, she also has clearance for all of the bases," McGee retorted. "She's based at Little Creek, and she travels to Quantico twice a week and the Navy Yard every other week as a liaison with teams on those bases."

Tony blinked. "Are you sure, McSearchEngine?"

"Yes, Tony." McGee handed him the paper. "We missed her in the early rounds of searching because she was a regular on those days at the bases, so the guards didn't think anything of it."

"And, she is a woman." Ziva tapped her chin. "Did we not determine this was a crime committed by a man?"

"If she's strong enough to beat up her younger brother and she's got military training, she could have committed any of the crimes we've uncovered," Tony said. "Even the SEAL had been drugged — his reflexes would have been slower than normal."

"So now what?" McGee said. "And where's Abby?"

"Right here, McGee." Abby bounced into the bullpen. "Major Mass Spec is running the samples now, but the quick basic tests I did didn't turn up anything." She frowned. "I couldn't get Aaron to talk, though. He just said he didn't need help. Oooh, is that a new suspect?"

"That's Aaron's sister," Ziva said.

"And we think she's our serial killer," McGee added.

Abby's mouth dropped open, and Tony would have laughed if the whole thing hadn't been so unfunny.

"'Fraid so, Abs," he said. "You didn't see her at the coffee shop, did you?"

Abby shook her head. "No, but she looks kind of familiar."

"She might have been in the shop yesterday when we went in," Ziva said. "Dorneget, do you remember those two sailors two in front of us in line?"

Dorney nodded. "Yeah, the quiet ones." He looked at the screen. "It's possible."

Tony thought about it for a second. "That would make sense — if she's abusive, she'd use her trips to the Navy Yard to intimidate him."

"And that would explain how she is getting her information," Ziva added. "Aaron is always in the coffee shop. He has heard plenty over the years."

Tony nodded. "So let's go find her, and arrest her for domestic violence. That will get her in here, and we can bring Aaron in to keep him safe — and to find out how much information he's given her over the years."

"I believe McGee and I should be the ones to bring in Aaron," Ziva said. "We are perhaps no so threatening as you and Gibbs would be."

Tony snorted. "Says the most deadly person on the team."

He winced at the headslap. "Right, Boss. Sorry, Boss."

Gibbs walked into the bullpen and they all started explaining. After a minute of the five of them trying to talk over each other, Gibbs whistled them to a stop.

"Ziva, McGee, the coffee shop. Talk to the manager first, discreetly. Make sure they know Aaron isn't in trouble." Gibbs turned. "Dorneget, stay with Abby. Update the others. DiNozzo, with me."

Tony grabbed his gun and badge and followed Gibbs into the elevator.

"Gibbs, wait." Vance's voice carried from the landing on the stairs. "We've got two more bodies — eighteen total. Balboa's team is working on one, and Krone's team has the other. Both killed yesterday, one in the afternoon, one overnight."

"Abs, get forensics done yesterday," Gibbs said. "We're bringing her in and nailing her to the wall."

Tony finished what Gibbs hadn't said in his head: Before she killed again, and got another team member.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

They think they have everything figured out, but all they have done is bring me within the gate, ready to strike. I was prepared for this, and I will make sure that they regret it. How much will Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs hate himself if I am able to continue killing within his castle? I had hoped to get away unnoticed, but this may be even better. I will get to watch them fall apart.


	29. Chapter 28

_**AN:** Hope everybody in Sandy's path is getting power back and cleanup is going well. I'm coming down to the wire on this one, but it will be finished before Halloween ends. Two chapters to go! _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 28<strong>

As the team scattered from the bullpen, Abby stood there watching them, wringing her hands.

"Abby?" The voice from behind her made her turn.

"Dr. Cranston?" She bit her lip. "Why are you...?"

"Director Vance called me last night." She looked up at the scientist. "It's almost over, Abby." She put a hand on Abby's shoulder.

Abby shook her head, pigtails flying. "Not until they make it back safely. And until they have her locked up." She crossed her arms and headed to the lab, not bothering to check and see if Dorneget was behind her.

Once there, she hacked into the base ID system and tracked Melissa Watters to Quantico, then called Tony to relay the information.

"Make sure she pays for this," she told her friend before hanging up.

"Abby?"

She looked over to see Dorneget standing there.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"Stay out of my way while I find the evidence to nail her." Abby started pulling up records, cross-checking Watters' presence on each base at the time of the killings they knew about.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony hung on as Gibbs screeched around a corner on his way to Quantico.

"Boss, we need to be alive to arrest her," he said. At the silence that greeted him, he replied. "Right, Boss. Shutting up."

When they got to the base, it only took them a few minutes to track down Commander Melissa Watters. Tony followed behind Gibbs, waiting to see how he was going to play this.

Gibbs rapped a knuckle against the office door. The woman who looked up was a few years older than the photo in her SRB that Tony had pulled earlier in the day, but she was clearly the same woman, and she resembled her younger brother.

"May I help you?" She set down her pencil.

"Agent Gibbs, NCIS." The team lead held out his badge. "We're investigating a case, and your name has come up. We were hoping you could come back to NCIS headquarters and answer a few questions."

"I'm afraid I'm rather busy today." She checked her watch. "I could spare a few minutes in about an hour." Tony studied her, noted the faint lines at the corners of her eyes and a new tightness about her lips as she waited for Gibbs' response.

"Commander, I'm afraid you don't have a choice." Gibbs stepped into the room. "Now, you can come with us voluntarily, or we can arrest you and bring you in for questioning, if you'd rather."

Watters clenched her right hand into a fist. "Arrest? On what charges?"

"Assault." Gibbs pulled out his handcuffs. "Are ya coming?"

Watters stood and smoothed down her uniform skirt. "You're making a mistake, but let's go." She picked up a clutch purse from the desk and tucked her cover under her arm. After that, she was silent until they were in the car, heading back.

After they had been on the road about 15 minutes, she spoke.

"You're the great Agent Gibbs?" she asked. When Tony looked back, she arched one fine brow at him.

"He's Agent Gibbs," Tony confirmed.

"I remember you," she said. "You're the one who finally caught Kyle Boone, after everybody else failed."

Tony saw Gibbs' hands clench on the wheels, knuckles whitening, and decided for everybody's safety, he should answer Watters.

"You remember the Boone case?" Not that it was such a stretch, since she looked to be at most just a few years younger than Tony.

"My best friend was one of Boone's first victims," she said. "Since her father had retired a year earlier, NCIS didn't investigate. It wasn't until eighteen victims later that Boone killed a petty officer and NCIS got involved. I still remember when my mother told me you had caught him." Her eyes were blank of emotion, and Tony felt a twist in his gut. He knew he should try and get more information from her, but hurtling along in a speeding car posed too much risk. He could bring it up back at NCIS headquarters in interrogation.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Ziva and McGee headed for the coffee shop, determined to keep this discreet so Aaron wouldn't be too embarrassed to cooperate.

"Who's the manager on today?" McGee asked.

Ziva hesitated before responding. "I do not know." She paused. "The only people I saw in there were Aaron, Chris and the new girl, and I do not believe any of them are managers."

"Chris is probably the one we should talk to." McGee thought for a second. "Ziva, why don't you place an order, just our usual team one. Don't get a Caf-Pow, even."

"No, that would just raise questions since Abby was here less than half an hour ago," she replied. "What will you be doing?"

"I'll get Chris aside while Aaron is busy making drinks and explain what's going on." McGee looked at his watch. "We're lucky — it should be pretty quiet in there right now."

He was glad to walk in and find out they were right. The only person in the shop besides the crew was one older man wearing jeans and a battered USS Enterprise ballcap in an easy chair, materials from the Navy Museum scattered around him.

McGee nudged Ziva at the sight of Chris sitting at a table near the back, calculator and papers stacked in front of him. She gave a nod, and headed for the counter as McGee walked over and pulled out the chair across from Chris.

"McGee?" The barista looked up.

"Shhh." McGee leaned across the table and briefly outlined the basics: Aaron's sister was Navy and she was abusive, making it the team's case. "We want to bring him in, get his statement and keep him safe until we're sure we have her locked up," he finished.

"Sure," Chris said. "Morgan and I can hold down the fort here until Darren gets back."

McGee looked at the paperwork on the table. "You seem to be doing a good job."

Chris shook his head. "This is just schedule mess." He rolled his eyes. "The owner has the coffee shop at Quantico, too, and they just had to fire three people for theft. Darren and Renee had to cover shifts over there, and they figured it would be fine because Aaron and I have been doing this for so long. I volunteered to spend some time trying to line up people to cover here so those of us who work at both locations can cover extra shifts there until they hire replacements."

"I didn't realize you worked at both bases," McGee said.

"A bunch of us do," Chris said. "Me, Aaron, Darren, Renee..." He rattled off a few more names. "Most of the rest don't because they don't have a car to drive over there."

"Is it going to cause a problem if we keep Aaron over at NCIS for a few hours?" McGee pinched his lower lip.

"Like I said, it's pretty quiet now," Chris said. "Besides, the new girl needs more practice making drinks. This is a good reason to give it to her."

McGee nodded and stood. Ziva was over at the pick-up counter chatting with Aaron, but she glanced McGee's way and he nodded once. Her lips tightened briefly before she interrupted Aaron. By the time McGee reached them, Aaron was taking off his apron.

McGee picked up the tray of drinks.

"I've got some sugars here," Aaron said, dropping them on the tray. "Can't let Tony miss his sugar high. Come on, I don't want to be walking in when you bring the bitch into the building." He flushed. "Sorry, Ziva."

"It is of no worry," she said. "Come, let us go."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

It will be just a few minutes now before the deaths begin again. They believe they were thorough, but they missed my plan to strike from in their midst, and they will pay for it. One of them will pay with his life. The others, with guilt. Once they are distracted, I will strike a second time, and a third. The order might be different, but the results will be the same. Gibbs will suffer at my hand


	30. Chapter 29

_**AN: **Done! I am going to be a bit mean, though. The final chapter isn't going up here until tomorrow. Mostly because it would ruin the effect of the ending of this chapter to put them up back to back. But I'll post it first thing. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29<strong>

McGee waited until Ziva and Aaron were settled in one of the interrogation rooms before heading over to observation for the room where Gibbs and Tony would be bringing Melissa, coffee tray in hand. Inside, Dorney was standing there watching Abby bounce in place.

"Abs, what's going on?" McGee asked.

"McGee, this is bad." She shoved a piece of paper at him. "I checked, and it looks like she was on the bases where the deaths happened on the right days. Or wrong days. Because I don't think the victims would think they were the right-"

"Abby." McGee set the tray down and reached over to grab her upper arms, steadying her in place. "What about the Caf-Pow?"

She shook her head. "Negative."

"Good." McGee nodded. "Dorney, Ziva's in room 2 with Aaron. Why don't you go in with her, and you two see how much information about his sister you two can get out of him, especially if he knows anything about her obsession with Boone."

Dorney nodded and headed out.

"Abs, you'd better head to the lab before she gets here. If she thinks we're bringing her in for the murders, not the assault, she might make one last attempt at whatever plan this is, and you're the most likely target — it would hurt Gibbs and you're not armed."

"Can I go get a real Caf-Pow, since I had to toss the other one?" she asked.

McGee shook his head. "Do you want Gibbs to kill you? Wait until we're sure we've got her locked away. But you can at least walk around without an escort."

And at that, Abby was gone.

It was only another few minutes before Tony and Gibbs led Melissa into interrogation, then Tony left and joined McGee in observation.

"You guys get Aaron in safely?" Tony reached for his coffee and dumped in the sugar. "Think I should bring the Boss his coffee?"

"Did you just ask if you should interrupt Gibbs in interrogation?" McGee stared at him.

"He's not-" Tony broke off as Gibbs stood and leaned across the table, blocking their view of Melissa. "OK, the Boss has started. Forget I said anything."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Ziva motioned for Aaron to sit as McGee left the room. She understood why they were bringing him down here. It would be much easier to observe both him and his sister so McGee and Tony could bring information to Gibbs that she was able to coax out of Aaron. Still, this was not an inviting setting.

"Am I in trouble?" Aaron asked as he sat, folding his hands and resting them on the table.

"No, you are not," Ziva said. "But if we are to make sure your sister does not hurt you again, we need all the information we can get to put her away."

He nodded, and looked down at his hands. "It started when I was little," he said. "My mom was Navy, so she was deployed a lot, and we were at home with my father. She's a lot older than me, and she hated having me around. She always told me to leave, not to bother her." He rubbed one thumb across the knuckles of his other hand. "She always used words, then, and I'd hit her, you know the way kids do when they're frustrated." He looked up her. "My father always told me that I should never hit a woman, so I was the one who got in trouble."

Ziva nodded, even as she heard the door open. But she saw Dorney walk into a corner, out of the way, so she focused on Aaron. "When did she start hitting you?"

"She followed Mom into the Navy, and she was gone a lot, just like Mom. By the time she came back, our father was dead, and I was in high school. She hit me in the arm one time, and I wanted to hit her back, but I could hear my father telling me no. After that, she started hitting me more." Aaron looked down again, and kept his gaze on his hands. "But nobody ever thinks she would do something like that."

"We will make sure she does not do it again," Ziva said. She looked over at Dorneget, who nodded and said something. It took Ziva a second to figure out what he was saying, but then she nodded. "Aaron, do you remember one of your sister's classmates, a Sarah McCray?"

He nodded, and his fingers tightened, the knuckles whitening from the pressure. "She and Melissa used to be friends, and Sarah didn't like having me around either."

Ziva didn't look away, not wanting to be distracted by Dorneget's reaction. "Do you remember when Sarah died?"

Aaron didn't say anything for a minute, then he slowly nodded his head. "That was the week things changed."

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Leon Vance finished seeing Dr. Cranston off, after she let him know that she thought the team needed sleep more than anything she could provide. He thought she might end up stopping by Gibbs' basement once this was over, but that was a thought he'd keep to himself. If anybody could help him, it would be her.

He headed instead for interrogation, after confirming that Dr. Pitt was in Autopsy, still helping Palmer and Dr. Mallard. He wanted to make sure this woman was put away for good after what she had done.

Vance first looked in Observation Room 1, where Tony and McGee were watching Gibbs. The interrogation room was silent, so he must be trying to break her with his glare. Vance left the younger agents alone and headed for Observation 2. He opened the door, surprised to see Scuito there. She was watching the scene play out in the interrogation room, and didn't even look over when he walked in and shut the door.

He tucked his hands in his pockets and wished for a toothpick.

Dorneget was standing against the wall, a peculiar expression on his face. Vance wasn't as familiar with the rookie agent as he was with the rest of the team. Dorneget was easier to read — he didn't have as much experience hiding his thoughts. Unlike DiNozzo, who had raised it to an art form. But Vance also wasn't as familiar with the nuances of Dorneget's expressions.

"Agent Dorneget?" He turned to Scuito, who was still focused on the conversation.

"Huh?" Abby looked over. "Are you asking how he's doing, Leon?" She wrinkled her forehead. "He's doing good, really good. He had a friend who was in Aaron's position, not by his sister, because that's really weird. I mean, I used to give Luka a hard time all the time but I never beat on him, even if I did Superglue his head to things a couple of times, but his friend's boyfriend was abusive and I kind of wonder if maybe Dorney has dated a guy or two who leaned that way because he said something once, and I didn't follow up on it, but he said something about how it was almost too easy to fall into a relationship that wasn't healthy and stopping things after a few dates when the guy was really intent on getting you in and trapped was hard because all you could really rely on was a gut feeling and that's hard to explain when somebody asks you why you broke up with a guy that everybody thinks is a good catch, and-"

"Scuito." Vance cut her off before his head could start spinning, once it was clear she wouldn't run out of breath anytime soon. "Has he given us anything to help us nail his sister?"

"Sorry, Leon." Scuito shook her head. "He said she was friends with one of Boone's victims, and the woman's death caused enough of a change in her that he still remembers it, even though he must have only been eight or nine at the time. But we can't take that to court."

He nodded. "Nothing we can use to link her to any of the murders?"

Scuito started to shake her head, then stopped. "I'll be right back." She scrambled past him and out of the room. Vance stared after her, then went back to watching the interview.

**~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~**

Tony watched as Gibbs stared at Melissa. She stared back, not intimidated. And stared. Finally, she dropped her eyes, briefly, then raised them again.

"You still haven't told me why I'm here," she said.

"Assault." Gibbs opened a folder. "On your brother."

"Aaron?" She shook her head. "Except for the occasional cup of coffee when he's working at Quantico or the Navy Yard and I stop in, the only time I've seen Aaron in the last few months was a couple of weekends ago. He came by the base to drop something off for our mother. We don't talk much." She folded her hands on the desk, and Tony had a hard time believing those hands had wielded all those weapons against all the victims. She obviously pampered them with lotion and regular attention.

"Yeah, because you beat on him." Tony frowned. "Why do they lie, McGee? Do they really think Gibbs won't be able to tell?"

"I don't know, Tony. But if she's the one who's been killing for all these years and she managed to pass her Navy psych evals, that's kind of scary." McGee made a face. "Maybe she can beat Gibbs."

Tony shook his head, then swallowed to get rid of the dry feeling in his mouth. Too much coffee this week. "No way. She made it personal. Gibbs doesn't let those cases go." He listened as Gibbs changed his line of questioning.

"Sarah McCray."

"Sarah?" Melissa sounded confused. "What does she have to do with this ridiculous accusation?"

"Kyle Boone."

"He's a sick bastard, but you know that. You caught him. I hope he's rotting in jail." Her face twisted in disgust.

Tony started to ask McGee a question, but the words got stuck. He cleared his throat and tried again. "She knows he's dead."

McGee shook his head. "She doesn't sound like it."

"McGee, she's stalked us enough to know about Nikki Jardine's connection to the team on a single case. She had to know. It was all over the news." He slid a finger around the collar of his shirt, loosening it.

"Tony?" McGee looked over. "Are you feeling OK?"

Tony tried to reply, but he was having trouble getting the words out.

"Crap!" McGee grabbed Tony's coffee cup. "The sugar." He pulled out his cell, and hit a button. He could hear Abby's ringtone as the door opened. Tony wanted to ask, but he was having trouble getting enough breath. He leaned on the edge of the tech's desk.

"I'm right here, McGee." She walked in, Brad and Ducky behind her.

"The sugar was poisoned." He thrust the coffee cup at her. "Something that's affecting Tony's breathing." He pushed past them into the hallway, as dark spots started to swim in front of Tony.

Tony's last thought before everything went black was that Gibbs was going to kill McGee for bursting into interrogation.

"Boss, we've got it backward."

* * *

><p><em>Was that what you were expecting? And have you spent enough time inside the killer's head to understand the why? If not, McGee will explain it next chapter. <em>


	31. Chapter 30

_**AN: **Woohoo! Last chapter! Were you guys surprised at who the killer was? There is actually a point fairly early on — before the end of Chapter 17 and my posting hiatus — where all the clues needed to figure it were already out there. ;) _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 30<strong>

Once Aaron had been arrested and hauled off by Balboa's team, Gibbs led the way to autopsy, where Tony was lying on one of the tables, an IV attached to his arm.

"He's OK, Gibbs." Brad looked up from where he was standing over the supine agent. "His lungs are clearing and if you can actually get him to take a couple of days off, he'll be good as new. Or at least as good as he's been the past few years."

"Hey," Tony croaked. "I heard that, Wolverine." He coughed, the sound weak.

Gibbs walked over and tapped him upside the head.

"Yes, Boss. Shutting up, Boss." Tony settled back on the table, a sweatshirt supporting his head. "So, can somebody explain how a coffee barista almost outsmarted us?"

Vance put his hands on his hips, his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbows, a smudge on the sleeve from the scuffle with Aaron. "I've been wondering the same thing. Gibbs?"

"Boone." Gibbs pressed his lips together. "Bastard."

"Use your words, Gibbs," Abby said. "I figured part of it out and I still don't know why."

McGee hoisted himself onto the empty table across from Tony. "I'm not sure I know why — that's more Ducky's area — but I think I understand what was going on. Sort of." He tried to get all the pieces straight in his head. "When Aaron was a kid, Melissa was friends with Sarah McCray, one of Boone's victims. They were several years older than him, and so treated him the way teenagers usually treat pesky little siblings." He blushed. "Although at least my sister's never tried to kill people because of it."

"I am confused," Ziva said. "What is the connection?"

"I believe Timothy is correct," Ducky said. "The regrettable Mr. Kelly blamed his sister's friend for instigating the torment, though he also did not approve of her role. After Kyle Boone killed Sarah McCray, he saw Boone as the man who saved him from their torment." Ducky shook his head. "Regrettably, this young man was perhaps even more of a sociopath than Boone himself, and he hid it well. Boone became his hero."

McGee picked the thread back up. "So when Gibbs caught Boone, Gibbs became the person who destroyed his hero, and that made Gibbs a target. But Aaron was just a kid — he couldn't do anything. So he had time to plot and plan and weave revenge fantasies. By the time he was an adult, Gibbs had his own team with Burley. Aaron came up with a plan — kill more people than Boone, and not get caught. He targeted Navy and Marine personnel because that meant Gibbs was in charge, and he planned it carefully to make sure Gibbs wouldn't figure out the deaths were even connected until he was well on his way."

"But Boone died years ago," Abby said. "He- That was right after Kate-" She sniffed and twisted her hands together.

McGee nodded, then tried to find the right words to explain this part of Aaron's confession. "I think this is where we should be glad Gibbs is not the team lead many people are willing to work for very long — present company excepted." He rushed on before Gibbs could snarl. "He had a plan, but Gibbs was going through agents so quickly — except Burley — he was never able to put it into action. He was ready to start once Kate had been on the team long enough for him to study her, but then Gibbs added me to the team. So then he had to stalk me for a while." McGee couldn't resist the shudder that time. "He said that he was all set to act when Hannah Lowell tried to kill Tony with the plague. That delayed him. Then he became aware Ari was stalking us, so he pulled back to see what would happen. When Ari killed Kate, he 'messed up' Aaron's plan because now there was a new team member. He had to start his stalking again."

"But Boone was dead then," Tony said, his voice a little stronger. "That was when Paula was with us."

McGee nodded. "That's probably why the first body in the sequence was a Paula stand-in. She was almost as bad as Gibbs in his book, I imagine."

"So he stalked us again once Ziva joined?" Abby said.

McGee nodded. "If you look, the first body was killed the year after Ziva joined the team. And at that point, he didn't have any rush. Boone was dead, so he couldn't show Boone that somebody would outsmart Gibbs. So Aaron slowed his pace way down, and used his knowledge of what was going on around here to time his kills for when we were too busy to investigate. He figured if he kept away from the usual hallmarks of a serial killer, nobody would put the pieces together until it was too late."

"We didn't," Abby said. "I mean, now that I can see all the people he killed, I feel like an idiot for not putting it together sooner — this guy was good, but we're better, and he still almost fooled us."

"He thought of everything," McGee said. "And he was careful all the way through to work on bases where his sister had been so that if we ever did find the Boone connection, we'd find her, not him." He made a face. "This abuse thing was a good example. He told me a couple of days ago he was going to have to break up a fight between his sister and his mother that night. It's the night he killed the SEAL."

"Cover story," Tony croaked.

"Right," McGee said. "He knew he was going to have bruises, and he knew this time we were on the case. He didn't want us figuring it out. So he set her — and us — up."

"The way he was talking after McGee raised the alarm, he wanted us to know he was out there," Vance said. "Part of what he wanted to do was have Gibbs know somebody was outsmarting him."

"He does not know Gibbs very well," Ziva said.

"No, he doesn't," Vance said. "He underestimated each of you, and he overestimated his own cleverness."

"Sadly, a common trait among sociopaths, along with their noted lack of empathy," Ducky said. "I doubt he for one moment considered the families of all the men and women he killed. I do not know quite how to explain this distressing chain of events to poor Malia Jackson." He sighed.

"If it will help, Dr. Mallard, I am more than willing to go with you, or even to talk to Mrs. Jackson myself," Vance said. "As for the rest of you, I don't want to see you for the rest of the week. Take a few days, rest. Dr. Cranston is available for anybody who wishes to talk to her."

"Tony, you're with me," Gibbs said. "Not staying home alone like that." He looked around. "Rest of you, come over tomorrow. Keep him occupied."

Abby snickered. "Bossman means keep you from driving him batty, Tony," she said. She sobered. "If anybody doesn't want to go home alone, I have room to crash at my place." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I want to be alone quite yet."

Tony coughed. "You got enough room, Abbs? Even if you put McGeek here in the coffin with you, that only leaves a bed and a sofa."

McGee watched as Tony twisted to look at Gibbs, who gave a short nod.

"OK, everybody gets to bother the Boss," Tony said, a faint version of his usual grin on his face. "Campout at Gibbs' house tonight, and the steaks are on me because you guys saved my ass. Again."

McGee watched small smiles start to fill the faces in the room and thought maybe, just maybe, things would be OK.

* * *

><p><em>I hope you all enjoyed this. I'm glad it's finally done. :) I didn't meet my goal of finishing this *and* novel revisions by Halloween, but Sandy's partly to blame for that. (The Frankenstorm, not Sandbar17.) Thanks to all of you who commented — I really love hearing what you guys think! <em>

_Couple of news bits you might (or might not) be interested in. I did a little thinking this week about upcoming writing projects. I'm doing a Covert Affairs big bang that's got to be written in the next three months, but won't post until April. Kyrie and I were brainstorming last month and came up with an idea for a triple crossover: NCIS, NCIS:LA and Hawaii 5-0, written as though H50 was airing after LA on Tuesdays. I'm finishing up novel revisions this week, then sending it off to some beta readers. I'm trying to find somebody who hasn't read my earlier Exeter work to make sure this stands alone, so if you're interested, PM me. You don't need to be a writer — I'm looking for a reader perspective reaction. Once that's done, I've got an Exeter ficlet from last Thanksgiving that's going to kick off a 10-15K story that I'll be doing as a WIP at FictionPress. _

_Oh, and I've finally wrapped my mind around the differences between my McDad and the canon one, or at least managed to figure out how to write knowing it's really wrong. So that final Breathe series story I promised and then reneged on is back on the table. It's the one where Ziva deals with Somalia, so it's going to be intense. I'm not promising that it will come right away — I think I'm going to get it all written before I start posting — but it is coming at some point. _


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